Canada Cool was the theme of Toronto’s LG Fashion Week, which ran for five days in the heart of downtown Toronto. The final day of fashion week was highlight by an eclectic and the well-established group of designers across Canada. Most notable of the evening was the ‘Aliens’ collection from Cydelic by Choryin. The spring/summer collection consisted of ready to wear, artistic garments and a full line of handbags. The edgy bags overshadowed the clothing with the classic shape yet extravagant designs. One bag resembled a shark; another was covered in green fur with silver bird feet at the bottom and the most creative bag looked like an underwater alien with long bird feathers and sharp teeth.
The David Dixon runway show was met with great anticipation and didn’t disappoint. The Canadian born designer who stands out a leader in fashion design showed dresses in butterfly patterns, had three dimensional flowers at the hem of long coats and dresses and used lace overlay on several pieces. Most of the dresses were halter dresses and pops of yellow were used to offset the black and white theme throughout the show. David’s inspiration came from the musical styling of Malcolm Maclaren. David describes his 2012 collection to be a mixture of classical with the modern, the strict with the soft and the importance of timelessness. David loves to “mix” and said that “I love mixing fabrics that have voices, and working them to create a “song”, that captures the essence of what I am “composing” this season”.
The final day to LG Fashion Week was a reminder that in Canada we do have our own ‘cool’ designers. Although many of them may never reach the high esteem of having their collection carried in Holt Renfrew or end up being carried across Canada in The Bay like David Dixon. However, many were simply thrilled to show their collection to potential buyers and to gain some media exposure. It is without a doubt that the many designers who revealed their first collection at LG Fashion Week left with a better understanding of the business of fashion and what Canadians are looking for in home grown talent.
