Fashion Art Toronto’s 1664 Fashion Week featured a combination of wearable art and avant-garde style mixed in with urban streetwear. Each runway showcase was an artistic performance, leaving attendees continuously surprised and guessing at what they can expect next. And while many of the outfits are more esoteric than the wardrobe of the typical Torontonian, they hold plenty of inspiration — these are concepts taken directly from the minds of the country’s most esteemed designers, after all.
What appears on the runway each season undoubtedly translates its way to the streets in some form, or at least makes it onto the mood boards of those who covet a trend. Streets of Toronto identified six trends that emerged throughout last weekend’s spring/summer showcase, all of which are sure to influence Toronto’s summer style.
Silhouettes that make a statement
An assertion of power and presence was felt in many of this season’s looks through garments designed to create exaggerated silhouettes including: accentuated shoulders and hips, simulated wings and elongated sleeves. Shoulders demanded a great deal of command, such as the severely sharp Pagoda shoulders of gender-nonconforming brands L’uomo Strano and Brandon Keir, or the heavy arms of Ricardo Camacho presented by Mexican designer Aparador GDL–reminiscent of the armoured wings of a beetle. Indigenous designer Lesley Hampton’s collection featured its own set of wings: pleated, flowing material cascading from the models’ shoulders, an alluring effect that resembled birds. More striking silhouettes were seen in the dramatically long arms of Ricardo Camacho, Pearletta Designs and Cetasia by FAT assistant director Lilli Wickham. There were also the wide hips created by Sagradesa’s ethereal bubble skirts and exposed cage crinolines and Storrveldi’s voluminous skirts.
Gotta have a hood
A number of designers debuted garments with hoods, or cloaks, giving their models an air of mystery as they strutted down the runway, face framed or partially concealed. High fashion has embraced hoods in recent years — as seen in the designs of Balenciaga and Rick Owens — transforming them from casual streetwear into avant-garde or sculptural elements of an outfit. In popular media they evoke secrecy, such as the hooded cloaks common in the fantasy genre, but they also serve as a means of neutralizing gendered styling by obscuring the face. In effect, they give the wearer a sense of privacy by shielding them from attention. The most obvious example of this was a full veil featured in Montreal brand Process Visual’s RECTO VERSEAU collection, though more traditional hoods were featured by Rachel Sudbury and Ethan Cordner. A more avant-garde example was seen in Maikaelo’s collection, featuring gowns framed by circular fabric that collapsed to encase the wearer, giving the appearance of a flower opening and closing.
Expressive prep
Toronto is a fan of prep wear and likes to revive it every once in a while with a fresh take — pairing it with urban streetwear elements or giving it an equestrian spin — so it was no surprise to see a bolder version of prep wear on the runway. Vancouver-based Dunne Cliff, known for conceptual knitwear, had a playful take on the prep genre with colourful sweater vests featuring edgy imagery like snakes, including one severed into pieces, accompanied by the text “join or die.” Complementing pieces included high socks with argyle patterns and classic plaid trousers with subversively low waists and asymmetrical hem lines.
Maritime brand Crowd Friends had a similar approach with tailored blazers and sets in bold colourways and fun materials spanning velvet, silk and tweed, as well as patterns like polka dot and gingham. Urban Indigenous designer Neechi by Nature nodded to prep in a more subtle way, with polo style shirts adorned by printed collars, hems and cuffs, as seen similarly on black short sleeve set with patterned lining.
Fastenings, straps and buckles, oh my!
Numerous looks featured corset lacing, adjustable straps and buckles, allowing for customization and giving the wearer agency to shape their own silhouette. Aesthetically, the fastenings serve as focal points on each outfit, drawing onlookers’ eyes to the small details and adding edge. Thematically, they introduce interplay between different parts of the garment, suggesting tension, deconstruction and layering. Several designers tied off their garments with corset lacing in the back, including Mario Fugnitto, Beautopie and Kaitsauka, as well as designers Lesley Hampton, Sagradesa, Ricardo Camacho and Storrveldi — truly no shortage. Others, like Sam Sun, Brandon Keir and Suburban Deviant, featured suspenders and buckles; heavy duty or inspired by outdoor equipment, edgy and scandalous or playful and juvenile. In every case, the straps and buckles accentuated the wearer’s skin, tan arms in the case of Sam Sun, and bare chests for Suburban Deviant and Brandon Keir (whose buckle look was, in fact, a series of buckled belts assembled to create a dress).
Make it metallic
There was a sheen all over this season’s runway, courtesy of a variety of metallic materials ranging from gold, silver and all manners of the rainbow. Anyone who enjoys going out to dance knows that a little shimmer is an easy way to elevate an outfit, but what about getting decked out head to toe like your Fashion Art Toronto predecessors? Maybe it’s the summer of main character energy, donning outfits that are suited for starring in your own music video. One of our favourite examples from this season’s show manifested in two looks by L’uomo Strano that blended silver with metallic pink and gold (one in the form of an oversized hooded jacket, and another in the form of a two-piece set), as well as accessories like knee high silver boots. Other designers added metallic accents to their signature aesthetics, like Brandon Kier’s panelling on his gothic looks, Kaitsauka’s long-nailed silver gloves and shimmery face makeup to accentuate an alien-esque appearance and Ali Haider — who subverted traditional Pakistani dress attire with material that captured light like a disco ball.
It’s all in the (dainty) details
Delicacy was also in abundance for the spring/summer season, in the form of dainty details like bows lace, floral decals, polka dots and even pom poms. Torontonians have been enthusiastically adorning their outfits with the former for a while, and this season’s showcase proved that bows aren’t going out of style anytime soon. They’re also arguably the easiest way to add a bit of whimsy and coquettish flair to one’s outfit, either pinned over top of an outfit like esoteric designer Storrveldi, used to tie a garment into place and accentuate a silhouette, or hang delicately off the ends of draping fabrics. Lace is similarly an easy way to show some skin this summer while maintaining a romantic aesthetic, and its fine detail make it the perfect fabric to layer, as proven by L’umo Strano. Next to lace is sheer material adorned with decals, many examples of which were seen on the runway — like the delicate flowers that adorn Narces‘ gowns. They elicit a youthful charm that is ideal for the season when everything comes to life.
