After an exciting — and educational — first day at The ShOws, the fashion crowd returned for a triumphant day two. This time, folks gathered to see creations from designers Steven Tai and Jeremy Laing.
Fashion Magazine’s Bernadette Morra was spotted looking chic; model Liisa Winkler had a plaid shirt wrapped around her waist; the Beckerman sisters were high impact in, yes, plaid and plaid, and overall plenty of round spectacles were noted (must’ve been the Laing effect).
The last time we saw the London-based Steven Tai’s work, he sent out a number of sporty looks (injected with a throwback raver aesthetic). For spring, Tai explored his ideas further by fragmenting them and pushing them into the digital realm. His pastoral print sweatshirt idea from last season was refreshed for spring: this time the scenery (a shot of Cornwall) was photographed, collaged and laser-cut, creating an ethereal effect.
While some pieces were printed and then laser-cut; others were cut and then printed, which required the textiles to be affixed to a board and transported to the printers completely flat in order to be silk-screened properly. An exhaustive process, to say the least. Another rendering of pixellation — or fragmentation — was visible in a T-shirt-cum-blouse that was seemingly woven, but was actually embroidered in white thread with the bucolic image then printed on top. Not only did Tai do amazing textile work, but he explored interesting avenues with his silhouettes, such as a drop-waist dress with a hemline reaching to the ground. Fascinating all around.
Laing was the final show of the two-day event, drawing the hustle and bustle that one would expect following his well-received collection during New York Fashion Week. For the first time, the designer put forth garments for both men and women — though, he noted, “It’s just a matter of sizing,” since his pieces tend to be on the boxier side. (However, his front-zippered, over-the-shoulder, skintight garb is best suited to the female form — or a particularly lithe male, at least.)
Laing worked off the idea of idyllic childhood references — sidewalk chalk, ice cream — making for a collection that backed off from his traditional palette of earth tones, making way for bright, cheerful colours. Prints were vivacious: he collaborated with his artist friend Julia Dault on them. One looked like a squeegee kid had found himself in the midst of Holi, the Indian festival of colours; another was inspired by Tiger Tail ice cream (which, Laing laughed, “Americans don’t know about!”): a swirling mess of muted tangerine and black that felt like what you’d see in a petri dish of nail polish colours.
Other looks were created using a burn-out technique (natural and synthetic fabrics are bonded together, and parts are “burned out” using acid), referencing his moon pieces from seasons past, while still others featured a seemingly simple stripe (the cuts weren’t so simple). Silhouettes were mostly, yes, on the boxy side, though there were more sensual pieces in the midst. Front zippers (with circular pulls) played a pivotal role and served as a focal point for many of the looks, which had “wings” that fluttered with movement. For the first time, Laing also sent forth shoes (a collab with Tiffany Tuttle), matching leather with wood in chunky shapes that anchored the looks.
Overall, the two days’ worth of shows proved that Canada has some incredible design talent to be reckoned with. The scene has been set for Fashion Week.