Sexy fashion: L’Oreal Fashion Week gets Fresh
The circus that is fashion opened under a Big Top in the heart of Toronto this week, with clinking Prosecco cans, neon blasts of colour, a liberal sprinkling of sequins on and off the runway, and the appearance of two supermodels, Somalian-born legend Iman, and Canadian ingenue Heather Marks.
The 30,000-square-foot tent - achingly loud, crowded, chaotic, breezy and just a little rickety it seemed at times - held up despite the vagaries of the weather.
The feeling was decidedly fresh - weather and otherwise as the temperature turned from balmy to blustery, wet and cold overnight.
“Tents are kind of a Canadian thing,'’ Toronto Mayor David Miller told the crowd under the canopy at L’Oreal Fashion Week Tuesday night, showcasing styles for next spring and summer from about 30 Canadian designers.
With a 61-metre runway room, VIP and media lounges, installations for fashion and brand displays (outfits from the so-called Group of Seven designers, Roots bags, brand displays from Le Chateau to Tilley) and a studio stage for broadcasts by Jeanne Beker of Fashion Television, the tent was a hit. Most showgoers love the location and atmosphere.
There wasn’t even too much griping about the portable potties - city hall public toilets are open until 10 p.m.
At all fashion weeks, there is what reporters call colour. A few sightings: a society photographer in gold sequins and hair to her hips, a fellow in a plastic helmet, a woman who works out a lot and wears the white stretch pants to let the world know, and the runway hit of the fall season: a little satin number (in dress and top variations) by Toronto designer Joeffer Caoc. With a soft diagonal front pleat, it was worn in cobalt by one magazine editor, in scarlet by another and in grey or black elsewhere in the audience.
Caoc took the colour shock to the runway for spring with one-shoulder sheaths or batwing, blowsy tops and gowns in electric yellow, hot pink, purple and orange. Some were fabulous, darling, especially if he offers them in black. And he showed us how to wear sequins: in the big discs the French call paillettes in a glittering little jacket or cowl-front top, or in not quite black as a red-carpet ready gown, with an open vent in the back and held aloft with asymmetric strings for straps.
Speaking of vented backs, Ginch Gonch, the Vancouver underwear brand, offered a show on the theme of Jungle Fever, with energetic performances by dancers in boy shorts and tanks. The models wore the same briefs, tanks and tangas, with props like bananas, a bear skin with head intact, and for topless girls, signs over their breasts with messages like Pretty Kitty or Banana Monkey.
Monday, opening night, saw the entrance of Iman, 52, host of Project Runway Canada, and the 19-year-old Calgarian, Heather Marks, both surreal beauties. Iman, so perfect she seems bionic , wore a grey satin slip dress by Lucian Matis, one of the reality show’s competing designers who may or may not be a finalist for the prize of $100,000. But details of the show, which is to be broadcast in December, are under embargo.
The porcelain-skinned Marks, accustomed to wearing, say, Christian Lacroix or Dolce & Gabbana, hit the runway for Joe Fresh - the Loblaws brand designed by Joe Mimran - and said she even owned a few pieces, bought at a Vancouver superstore. “It’s really cool, young and fun - cool clothing at an affordable cost,'’ she said of the line.
“She’s quintessentially Canadian and we’re a Canadian brand,'’ said Mimran, who flew her in for the occasion,
The line was fresh and bright with colour - neon shoes and socks in grocery green, lime or pink, apple green Ts, dresses in cream, coral, white and a hot pink Pucci-esque print, but one’s attention strayed from the fashion when reading the unbelievable prices on the line sheet: metallic straw hat, $12!, swing trench, $39!!, ruffled shirt, $19!!!, Merengue dress, $39!!! (Exclamation marks mine.) All on trend with a touch of mod, cool volume and a clean, preppie feel. And looking good.
