Ottawa Fashion Week Wrap Up Day Two: Charming and Colourful

The second day of Ottawa Fashion Week (OFW) showcased plenty of colour and charm. The event began Tribal Sportswear’s business casual apparel, the label showcased basics and classic styles that fit right in with the business aesthetic of the city. Tribal Sportswear, established in1976 is known for it’s “sophisticated and practical clothing for the modern woman” which inspires “everyday practices.” Overall the collection was cohesive and in tune with their overall style philosophy, albeit the styling could have been a little more creative for a runway show.

Chideya Paidemoyo, the design brain child behind DeMoyo showed off a lovely collection of ready-to-wear and casual classics. Clean lines and neutral colours dominated the show along with some brights spliced throughout. Overall the effect was charming and the clothes all wearable!

The second half of OFW began with a burst of colour with Jana Hanzel and Emilia Torabi’s latest collection. The designers’ one-of-a-kind designs really showcased their historical influence and inspiration. Although the show seemed a little inconsistent at times, one has to give these ladies credit for putting on a creative and unique performance. One of the very few designers to use props right on the catwalk, the chair and fan which models utilized on the runway created some flare to the overall show.

If there were only two words to describe ElizBourk’s fall/winter collection they would most definitely be ‘flirty and fun’. The designer, “inspired by street-fashion and fashion blogs” showcased a versatile ready-to-wear collection! The use of pastels and soft colours through out along with the styling and fun detailing (such as the purple dress with a petal skirt), made the clothes both accessible and attractive. The models carried large balloons down the runway, which not only added to the performance but also to the youthful aesthetic of the clothes.

Rachel Sin once again charmed her audience with her usual careful attention to detail and impeccable tailoring. It seems that Sin is  expanding into separates with the same amount of precision that she always executes with her lovely dresses. The colours of the collection varied between soft hues of dresses, skirts and blouses and darker shades of pants and blazers. Sin also made sure to disperse some fun and flirty elements in her fabrics with a pair of sequenced pants and faux-fur detailing on skirts and blazers.

The second day of OFW closed with Turbine. Designer, Lisa Drader Murphy creates and produces classic seasonal collections of ready-to-wear apparel, handbags, as well as jewellery. The collection showcased some amazing kimono-style tops and Obi belts along with splashes of colours woven throughout. The fabrics in particular stood out and it’s no wonder since the designer favours “high-end never-before-used vintage fabrics dating back to mid-century.”

Basics along with flirty and charming designs dominated night two of OFW with six different designers and six unique collections. Stay tuned for OLM’s final wrap-up of OFW’s winter/fall collections for 2012!

*Slider image courtesy of Ming Wu*