Up-and-coming designer Caitlin Power is known for her tailored and androgynous approach to womenswear. For her fall/winter collection, Power added menswear into the mix, teaming more technical fabrics like Tencel and neoprene with leather and silk chiffon.
Desirable looks for women included a cream blouse with chartreuse piping, and a blue neoprene dress with a slender stripe of neon yellow running down the front. Dresses that featured a rounded sleeve worked less well. We loved a look for men that paired a silk shirt with a black-and-green print with a dressy pair of drop-crotch pants. Often spotted on runways, the dropped crotch doesn’t translate to real life particularly well but Power’s version was actually very wearable. Although this collection was not as instantly likeable as Power’s spring collection — and there were a few issues with fit — overall, we applaud her slick futuristic vision, and found the men’s looks to be particularly noteworthy.
Rudsak
Designed by Evik Asatoorian, Montreal’s Rusdak brought immaculately tailored outerwear to the runway. Rolling out an extensive repertoire, the collection for men and women included lightweight leather toppers in addition to heavier, mid-winter gear: puffer jackets and fur-accented coats that will have PETA up in arms all over again.
For women, we fell for a leopard jacket with quilted nylon sleeves, and a cocoa- and sand-coloured coat with a black fur collar. Meanwhile, for men, all-black looks with leather details — think leather sleeves and collars — were urbanized classics. Notable accessories included a black leather purse with fur, leather armbands with a trio of buckles and a pair of cropped studded gloves; a leather rucksack was almost successful, but we balked at the monogrammed straps.
Ezra Constantine
After the Greta Constantine collection garnered rave reviews last week, designers Stephen Wong and Kirk Pickersgill showed their men’s component, Ezra Constantine, on its own for the first time yesterday. Packed into the smaller studio space, attendees included Derick Chetty, Anita Clarke and Tony Pham.
The show began with a troop of young models — accessorized in S&M gear — racing up and down the runway before the last model paused and repeated the walk solo. Citing man’s need for protection, the designer duo put forth a series of ready-to-wear looks in a neutral palette of grey, black and cream, with the occasional sequined and silver lamé piece thrown in for good (or not so good) measure. We loved a look that combined a vest with a harness, while a long-sleeved knit tee that wrapped around the neck created an interesting silhouette. Overall the collection was strong, though next time around we’d like to see it worn by models that have left their teenage years behind.
Pink Tartan
Much to everyone’s relief, Kimberley Newport-Mimran’s Pink Tartan show was scheduled on a different evening from Joe Fresh. The much-hyped show drew lots of bold-faced names: Susie Sheffman (in a Givenchy skirt), stylist George Antonopoulos, Kreesha Turner who was seated next to Keshia Chanté, The Bay’s Nicholas Mellamphy, designers Stephen Wong and Kirk Pickersgill (who sat in different rows) and a suited Joseph Mimran. They were joined by a flock of ladies in bright-pink looks from the line.
As the lights dimmed, yet another video was screened. This time, a long-haired creature with an air of insouciance was frying eggs, arranging books and sniffing flowers in a carefree manner. The show began and one thing was clear: this was a high-end extension of what we saw at Joe Fresh. Pink Tartan, however, did move forward slightly in terms of era, showcasing very polished looks that had whispers of a ’70s rockstar to them.
Sleek flared pants, fur booties and a number of voluminous fur coats — one in baby pink caught our eye — were all alluring looks. A head-to-toe emerald-green number paired a flared pant with a peplum top, while a floor-length cherry-red bandeau dress was topped with a sleek black blazer. Both would be exceptional picks for an elegant soirée. As Kimberley popped out to take her bow and blow kisses to her husband, it was yet another triumph for the Mimran empire.
David Dixon
The final show of the night was David Dixon. Titled “The Birds,” Dixon’s inspiration came from Hitchcock’s movie of the same name and, unsurprisingly, opened with a clip from the film. With toned down styling (a single, feather-accented piece was used for each look) the models were given sleek, side-parted hair, allowing the clothes to speak for themselves.
A cream boiled-wool coat with black lace cuffs was striking; a turquoise and black blurred jacquard skirt would work equally well for the uptown lady or the downtown girl. Other standout pieces included a cocktail frock with embroidered lace, while a feathered coat with three-quarter sleeves drew applause. Each of the garments was fit beautifully and, save for a couple of minor sidesteps involving over-ruching and under-sequinning, the birds did the trick for Dixon.
Also in Fashion Week Diaries
Day One: Lucian Matis’ darkly romantic vision, Holt Renfrew lacks panache
Day Two: impressive looks from Adrian Wu, Laura Siegel and Sid Neigum and Chloé Comme Parris, Martin Lim, Lundström Collection
Day Three: Vawk, Line, Bustle, Mélissa Nepton, Joe Fresh
Tomorrow: Arthur Mendonça and Rad by Rad Hourani