DylanInTheCity at The ShOws / Fall 2013 with Jeremy Laing

Jeremy Laing presented his Fall 2013 Collection at The ShOws last week here in Toronto to significant praise. As usual, Laing's presence in Toronto was greeted with enormous fanfare! And it's no surprise, because let's be entirely honest, he really doesn't need to be here at all. His success in New York is testament to that. Droves of enthusiasts and industry professionals flocked to Andrew Richard's (The ShOws Venue) in a number that easily doubled the initial capacity that day. To say we were a bit short of a room is an understatement. Nevertheless, an homage to his Canadian roots Season after Season is a wonderful touch; and it's nothing short of remarkable to see Laing's newest Collections up close as I did last week.

This Season Laing took us on a visually stunning trip; with interlaced patterns and textures, unusually balanced colours, and meticulously crafted textiles. A slight departure from his Spring Collection, which focused on sublime neutrals and gunmetal sheers; Laing's Fall  presentation featured a diverse palette of rich Blacks, bright Off-Whites, Dusty Roses and Soft Blues, with bold hits of Pantone Yellow and Gold Lamé. Colour blocking was partnered with monochromatic orthogonals (Seasonal favourite!) and heavily-textured knits through layered skirts, wide-legged, flowing trousers, and fantastic, boxed trenches.

The silhouette was chic, refined, and completely marketable though it maintained a constant value of intense, visual interest. We love Laing's use of broken lines in many of his fabrics; a pattern he photographed and repeated from a piece he adopted from a friend and local artist. "From a distance it reads as stripes." I remember Laing saying when explaining his textile choice, though up close it's noticeably broken and fractured slightly. Huge, obtuse forms were, once again, a dominant form in Laing's presentation. As usual, I'm obsessed with the way the clothing moves. Everything over-sized is hitting me just where it should this Season, as nothing says beautifully chic like the way a fantastic dress moves with almost no effort at all. But, beyond everything, I'd have to say my favourite pieces were the Gold hits; especially that amazing, baggy trench with those wide arms. Cinched just loosely enough, this trench caught the light brilliantly; it was a gem straight out of the 80's. Just perfect, wish I could sport that myself.

All in all, a great show, and a much more interesting interpretation of Fall 2013 than I initially anticipated from Jeremy Laing. Great pieces, great aesthetic!

All Photos Credit to Style.com

▲D

DylanInTheCity at The ShOws / Fall 2013 with Steven Tai

Steven Tai was perhaps the most surprising and fascinating show to present this year at The ShOws in Toronto. Nothing short of a genius in the creation of his materials and pieces, Tai showcased an aesthetic that was seasonally sound but creatively unique, totally on-point in terms of trend but imaginatively produced, and one of the best showstoppers of both days at The ShOws.

The aesthetic of Steven Tai's Fall 2013 Presentation was fantastic. Huge, over-sized knits that were youthful, obtuse, and so 90's. Boldly geometric blocked colours, a stand-out trend among Designers all over the world this Season; as well as fantastically wide flood pants. The most impressive element of Tai's collection was his amazing use of the most unexpected material - Silicone. In a candid, post-show interview at The ShOws, Tai explained that much of the Silicone he used was meticulously manipulated and molded into shape; creating textures and forms meant to mimic the visuals of traditional fabric. But it goes much beyond that; the Silicone was also hand-treated to become an actual, bendable and sew-able material. The result? Fascinating and bold forms that glistened in bright, plastic hues - lollipop colours of the 90's re-imagined in bold, shiny shapes; adding visually stunning textural elements to some of Tai's most iconic pieces for Fall 2013.

The is another Collection where the pictures simply don't do the quality of the design justice. Some of Tai's garments, particularly the white, woven Moto jacket, were created with an incredible amount of meticulous detail. The hand-work is remarkable, and is a testament to Tai's Design skill; not only visually, but in terms of production. If anything, the entire presentation is a fantastic portrayal of Tai's potential and the amazing levels a Designer of his caliber could take his evolving aesthetic in the future.

All Photos credit to Fashion Magazine

▲D

DylanInTheCity at The ShOws / Fall 2013 with Jean-Pierre Braganza

I had the privilege to attend one of Toronto's most anticipated and exclusive Fashion Events of the Season last week here in the city; The ShOws! A bi-yearly celebration of unique and incomparable Canadian talent; The ShOws is famous for supporting and featuring some of the most sought-after Canadian names to penetrate the International Fashion Market; displaying their Seasonal Designer Collections. The talent level is extremely high, the city is constantly abuzz, and the showrooms are obtusely full! For two days last week we were privy to 5 fantastic shows - Comrags, Jean-Pierre Braganza, Tanya Taylor, Steven Tai, and Jeremy Laing.

One of my favourite Canadian Designers of all time, Jean-Pierre Braganza, was the second to present at The ShOws last week. Featuring an incredible, diverse palette of personally created graphics, orthogonal patterns, and bright, geometric forms; it was easily one of the most impressive presentations this year.

These photos, though beautiful, do not do this Collection justice in the least. Braganza's fabirc was sublime; moving with such softness in the most brilliant forms down that Runway. Over-sized sleeves, hugely bold, blocked patterns in hints of coral, white, and teal; and a display of characteristically-Braganza painted graphics dominated his earthy, monochromatic palette. We were beyond obsessed, even moved, by some of the asymmetrical forms; cut with the hardest lines in sheen, ombré, leather, and navy. Fantastic in almost every sense; powerfully bold from beginning to end and almost too difficult to appreciate through just words alone. The majesty of Braganza takes me again, what an absolute gift to Fashion.

All photo credit goes to Toronto Life

▲D

The Collections / Sid Neigum #Spring2013

Can we talk for a moment about Sid Neigum? I know I rarely shut up about this incredible Canadian designer; but for good reason, I assure you. Taking a step outside of Fashion Week this Season, Neigum presented his soft and statuesque Spring 2013 Collection at The Collections. We were already up in arms at the ShOws over Braganza and Laing, and Neigum's showcase in no exception to the awesome.

Clean, sharp, and pattern-less were an interesting departure from collections we've seen recently this Season. As opposed to the textural and hard-cut shapes many designers were belting out for Spring; Neigum's take seems to rely more on the shape of the silhouette as a whole, allowing the natural texture of the fabric to play a much larger role. We are left with a sophisticated nakedness that is far less loud then what we've seen recently, yet just as powerful. Mmm, and it's good.

The ShOws Day 2 / Jeremy Laing #Spring2013

Closing night at the ShOws saw Canadian-born, design-phenom and all around brilliant guy Jeremy Laing deliver his Spring 2013 Collection. I should also mention that the sheer amount of people at the ShOws seemingly tripled between Azzuolo and Laing within an hour or so; it's easy to see the influence and presence Laing has in the community, and it comes as no surprise. I was lucky enough to snag a seat in a literally over-flowing Runway room! Everyone was in presence - from past models to the Editors and Execs from some of our favourite magazines, to famous bloggers and other brilliant designers, to notable public figures. Everyone wanted a piece of Laing, and I can't blame them, I mean, it's Jeremy Laing. I almost had a heart attack during the Braganza show when he stood beside me! Anyways, let's get to the beauty.

Jeremy Laing's Spring 2013 showcase was a cut-up, silvery embrace of what at first seemed like post-apocalyptic sportswear. Schoolgirl atheltics met with flowing satins, geometrically layered tunics and shorts, and metallic moments like snap button closures and meshed textures. The feel of the Collection became neo-grunge solely because of the baggy fits and flat palette; a clear embrace of deep greys, blacks, dirty whites, and bright, textural gunmetals. It was actually quite cool, and I wished I could see more silvery gunmetal run through the collection as a whole; I thought it added the right amount of visual interest to many of his interesting fabric elements - the vented dresses, geometrically embroidered tops, and crushed satins.

As usual, the pieces embraced a lot of movement for Spring but were meticulously constructed. The geometric elements were extremely bold because they were sharp and immaculate; a testament to Laing's undeniable attention to detail and form. Every line had a purpose; the eye has to travel as Vreeland would say. 

In the end, Jeremy Laing's Spring 2013 Collection at the ShOws was one of the clear showstoppers; met with a grand ovation as it left the Runway. The clothing was high-fashion, high-statement, and yet maintained that youthful, schoolgirl effortlessness that creeps in subtly with soft fabrics, baggy shorts, and that brilliant neo-punk hair. It's almost alternative in a new way, in an expensive way; and fiercely embraces those grunge elements from the 90's in a cool re-interpretation. Happy to be there, ecstatic to see it first. Thank you Jeremy Laing!

▲D

Photos Courtesy BlogTo

The ShOws Day 2 / Antonio Azzuolo #Spring2013

Antonio Azzuolo's Spring presentation at the ShOws this season was, in the essence of a.a., a masterpiece of immaculate tailoring. The stars of the show - his jackets, blazers, and pieced suits - were masculine, crisp, and evoked refreshing class. Playing on a seasonally on-point palette of soft neutrals accented with bursts of pigment here and there, Azzuolo's showcase was an amalgamation of the urban man as well as the professional man - taking into stride the transitions of both, from one to the other, quite literally at times.

Schoolboy Bermudas and crisp knitwear were some of the resort-like staples Azzuolo played on this season. Spring-time whites and creams, accented with bursts of royal hues like red, blue, and pink. Laser cut sport coats and loose slacks were the uptown version of the same aesthetic, taking the boy from the streets to the beach to Madison Avenue. It's actually quite harmonious, and lends itself to a type of man that maintains a certain quality of ease. As a result, in what my at first appear to be a rigid wardrobe is softened with bright knits, casual footwear, over-sized slacks, and cut-off denim.

Antonio Azzuolo's Spring 2013 showcase is a story of an evolving man. Subtle changes to a chic aesthetic bring character and personality to a wardrobe so often disassociated from charm and ease. It's tasteful, organic, and seasonally sound.

Keep it locked for more fantastic spreads on the ShOws 2012! And of course for all the action at World MasterCard Fashion Week starting tomorrow!

▲D

Photos Courtesy BlogTo