Evan Biddell Launches Online Shop

Hello Fashion! It's me again, here to tell you that Spring 2013 couldn't look any better. With the flurry of new, local lines emerging, gaining ground, and making serious headway; I have been in nothing but a positive mood. There are so many amazing things happening right now for me as well; so many things I'm excited to share with you - but it will have to wait for now. That aside, it's great to see some of the most talented people this country has to offer create some of the best pieces I've seen this Season. In the spirit of things, I thought I should let you know about one of my favourites: Evan Biddell.

The incomparable Biddell has just launched his very first Online Shop celebrating his brand. We couldn't be more thrilled being a fan of Biddell since the very beginning. Boasting aesthetics that are always neoteric and uniquely defined by bold textures, colours, silhouettes, and new interpretations; Biddell's Online Shop offers consumers and local fans the chance to taste it for themselves if they, by chance, haven't been able to make it down to Queen Street in Toronto. This Season we are being treated to magnificent Chiffon in Paintbox hues and even some select Pop Art pieces from his celebrated presentation at Toronto Fashion Week for Spring/Summer 2013. We are absolutely smitten with his Collection of sheer capes, cowls, and wraps! Over-sized, flowing, and so wicked! Definitely wish I could own them all. Congratulations Biddell! It has been a fantastic privilege to see your empire and aesthetic grow and evolve.

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Monochromatic Fantasy at One King West / Lucian Matis Fall 2013

We were enamoured from the moment we walked through the entrance. The opulence of one of Toronto's most iconic buildings, One King West, evoked a grandeur and a prestige only a Collection by Lucian Matis could rightfully equal. Huge columns arched by massive bay windows and stunning gold crown moulding throughout. I'm sure you all remember Matis' majestic and jaw-dropping Collection during Fashion Week last year at the Fairmont Royal York; we thought it was the best of the year. This year, one of Toronto's most celebrated Designers took us in an entirely new direction.

A private showing to an invite-only crowd (thanks for inviting me Lucian!), Monochromatic Fantasy took place in the Grand Ballroom of One King to a packed house of industry professionals, celebrities, designer guests, and media. We were treated to hors d'oeuvres, Bailey's cocktails, and delicious treats pre-show. Once runway began, in an unexpected twist, Matis presented an exclusive Bailey's creation gown to start the show as almost, I can only imagine, a nod to the prestige of his last showing. Featuring the same, repeated aesthetic of incredibly detailed, hand-cut patterns and a brilliant gown; this starting dress was a glimpse of nostalgia; and it, like it was in the past, was quite epic. 

Monochromatic Fantasy was everything the name suggested; a stark, clean palette presented with an air of regal majesty. Huge gowns in the crispest, angel white were dramatic and powerful in shape but simple in essence. Minimalist forms and minimalist colours evoked an aesthetic that was a total departure form the over-detailed, over-worked, and over-shiny that we are often accustomed to with a man of Matis' talent. Instead we are treated with something a little unexpected but equally great; it almost acts like the energy of the Collection as opposed to the grandeur of the material or the aesthetic itself. The clothes acted like images, and the Collection, like all Fashion Shows, existed perfectly in that moment. The white was flowing and bright, the cool greys were sharp and architectural, and the blacks were rich and chic. Dotted with textural elements of over-sized fur and the occasional matte leather, Monochromatic Fantasy was a nod to the greatness of true simplicity; something that it is uniquely difficult to do. Something like this requires the best trained hand and perhaps an even greater eye; without the option of bedazzlement or intersecting lines to create balance - the balance, the harmony of the form, becomes entirely dependent on the form itself. No line can be sewn out of place and no shoulder can be shaped differently; it calls for absolute control and absolute grace in execution. That is true craftsmanship, and simplicity of this caliber can be achieved be no one less than a masterful technician.

All incredible images Copyright 2013 to Michael Ho (Michael Ho Photography)

A brilliant, bright, powerfully soft presentation. Thank you again Lucian.

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Day 1 at World MasterCard Fashion Week / Chloé Comme Parris

Opening night at World MasterCard Fashion Week saw iconic, sister-lead Design team, Chloé Comme Parris, return to the tents with an epic Fall 2013 Runway presentation. Embodying an attitude, aesthetic, and feel that was a nod to an unrefined and urban 90's era look; Chloé presented gunmetal graphics, over-sized fits, and schoolgirl stockings re-imagined to a classic soundtrack.

We were enamoured from the very beginning. Strutting out to Nirvana, knits tied around their waists, thigh-length dresses and over-sized moto-jackets; easily adaptable, retro fits. But, I should say, smartly adapted for a modern Fashion era by using mirrored graphics, patterned stockings, shiny shoes, and fantastic, glossy leather! An awesome palette of dark olives, sheer, and black dominated the Runway; while the 90's came out brashly in midriff cut tees, spaghetti-strapped dresses, and brazenly cut coats. I can't really say too much beyond that. Describing the Collection as is is the best I can do; and just saying that I absolutely fell in love with the feel. It felt like looking into the past a little bit, but it was so modern and wearable in today's evolving market. Listening to the music and seeing the girls; sweaters around their waists and braids in their disheveled hair, took me immediately back to Summer in the 90's; just cooler. It was wicked, urban, so hip, and it didn't pretend not to be. It wasn't subtle, but it was unique. A wicked presentation.

Credit for the amazing photos to George Pimentel and FLARE

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Olivier Rousteing, Balmain, and the Fierce Metallic / Fall 2013

Ever since the young, brilliant, and mysterious Olivier Rousteing took over the House of Balmain in 2011; the entire aesthetic of Balmain had re-imagined itself in super-luxury opulence; a look more synonymous with that of it's original creator of which Balmain is named.

This Season, at Paris Fashion Week, Rousteing's Fall 2013 Collection for Balmain was no exception to the rule. A sparkling, highly-detailed, exaggerated, and extravagant showcase grounded by heavy forms, rich metallics, and stark shapes; Rousteing's aesthetic boasts a confidence and power equaled only be the era it clearly reflects; the affluent 80's. "More Balmain than Balmain has ever been before..." is a totally accurate sentiment.

We are smitten and inspired by the atmosphere and presence of these incredible clothes; evoking an ideal that moves beyond just the clothing itself. It's identity, it's magnificence, it's gauche, it's gaudy, it's too much, it's over-powered, and it's fabulous. From the glistening satin of the material, to the tightly cinched, belted waists, to the rigidly formed shoulders and geometric coat forms - it's, once again, architectural, iconic, dramatic, and brilliant in almost every visual sense. There is only one type of woman who could wear clothing this powerful, and that, I assure you, is a rare woman of an unparalleled, enigmatic beauty. A showstopping presentation! Bravo, Olivier!

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Céline, Automne/Hiver 2013 #SuperLux

Phoebe Philo is a visionary. In a celebration of the truest simplicity of form, line, and colour; Céline's Winter 2013 Collection is a pristine example of the anti-cluttered, anti-printed, and anti-textured timeless beauty that is the ultimate form of super-luxury. And we couldn't be more smitten!

There is something so compelling about this Collection. The forms are so obtuse and interesting, but the lines are so pure and clean, in true Céline form. It is totally Seasonally incredible yet it discards so many of some of this Season's most interesting trends - that is; overlaid textures, geometric, stark patterns, and prints. The knitwear and clean palette take the clothing to the most prominent level, without the need of any further visual interest; it's all in the shape, the line, and the way it sits. Effortlessly chic, opulence in pure minimalism. Only the best from Céline. 

Photos borrowed from The Front Row View

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McQ Alexander McQueen / Winter 2013 FILM

Alexander McQueen takes us on a journey of metamorphosis, reflection, and motion. In a compelling composition of shadow, light, and movement; McQ celebrates a diverse collection of monochromatic textures and haunting visuals for their highly anticipated Winter 2013 Collection. We love you McQueen!

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The Burberry Effect / Prorsum Womenswear + Menswear, Fall 2013

The Burberry Effect means more than the perfect trench; though, in reality, you could never do better than Burberry if that was your only concern. We're talking the greatest fabric on the planet. We're talking tailoring at a level that's museum-worthy. We're talking consistently re-imagined colours and silhouettes that somehow maintain the same principles of style, class, culture, and identity at the core of it's aesthetic. We're talking refinement, luxury, prestige, and presence all at the same time. Hmm, I guess we are talking about the perfect trench after all, aren't we? Well, look no further than Fall for the 2013 Season; we're talking Burberry Prorsum

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Beyond The LIM IT / 3.1 Fall 2013 #Womenswear

This post is long-overdue blogosphere! The incomparable Phillip Lim give us perhaps my favourite Fall Collection this year - littered with blocked and bright leathers, fantastic trenches, glossy pants, and urban knitwear. A Collection that boasts an aesthetic that is so Lim - with the right amount of streamlined chic and the right amount of youthful street style.

I am beyond obsessed with the coats in this Collection. Phillip Lim for Fall is always so architecturally pristine - with an 80's flare for the dramatic; the turquoise and beige overcoats exude a New York flair that is super-chic. Beyond that it has to be the pants and the boot wear - bagged leather, textured and cut with a bold shape. The lines, overlapped textures, and layered pieces are visually brilliant and an urban nod to a little but of 90's as well, if you can see it! The layering of line and colour remind me of a diverse cityscape; and it's held together by a fantastic, stark, and seasonally-sound palette of slate greys, whites, camels, and glossy blacks. A visual symphony of proportion, line, texture, and colour - I wish I could wear it all, especially that turquoise-on-a-teal-edge overcoat. Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant.

I know I post a lot about Phillip Lim, but represent his work is almost a must for me. He is, as I've said before, one of the most impeccable and talented modern designers in the world right now, despite his young age and relatively short career thus far. His taste is consistently and elegantly on-point season after season; and the construction of his pieces, beyond just the tailoring alone, is always a masterful composition of form, colour, and texture. It's as if he is creating incredible buildings that you can both appreciate from a distance and right up-close, in terms of grandeur and presence as well as the finest detailing. I could own every piece in this entire Collection. Bravo!

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