Toronto Fashion Week® Day One Tuesday, September 3 Recap

TORONTO, ON – Yorkville was abuzz on Day One of Toronto Fashion Week® as some of the nation’s top designers kicked off the event with their latest collections for S/S2020 at brand-new venue – FASHION HOUSE, a non-traditional, dynamic space located in the heart of the neighbourhood (78 Yorkville Ave).

Fashion Talks™, produced in partnership with CAFA™ and hosted by Donna Bishop, returned for another season, welcoming Franklin Benjamin Elman, the Canadian designer at the helm of historic fashion label, Trigère, as her first guest. FIJI Water, the Official Water Sponsor of Toronto Fashion Week®, was displayed on stage at the taping and seen backstage at Toronto Fashion Week®, keeping Canada’s most talented designers, makeup artists, and models, hydrated as they prepared for their respective shows.

Guests were treated to an incredible showing of fashion, starting with 90’s Kids, who transported guests back to the ’90s with a collection that combined leather, spray-painted tees and denim jackets. Keeping iconic looks from the era in mind, Creative Directors Sheroz Asad and Kendrick Tran utilized leather, denim and nylon to bring back nostalgia from the era. Innovative vintage styles was the goal with current street-wear trends and pop culture influences.

In a sea of hot pinks, pastels, tulle and unexpected silhouettes, Steven Lejambe’s collection debut was inspired by Costa Rican wildflowers. Select models were accented with lovely hand-made, Anavi Designs mini-bags. Along with the flow of the frothy tulle fabrics, combined with bright hues, the gowns maintained a delicacy combined with a dramatic feel.

Strong shoulders, leather-textures and organza ruled the TOMÉ runway. With over three decades in the city’s fashion scene, TOMÉ proved his ability to understand the need for a woman’s garment to accentuate her curves with a collection representing different shapes and silhouettes. The collection included pleated skirts, leather pants, sheer paneled organza gowns mixed with colourful prints, and strong necklines accented with pieces from the beloved Canadian brand, Rita Tesolin.

Contemporary Canadian vegan womenswear designer Hilary MacMillan‘s Spring/Summer 2020 collection showed a range of cerulean-toned blues with hints of gold, coupled with blacks and whites, champagne satin, vegan snakeskin-textured leather, and a multi-tonal blue and gold tweed. Famed for her range of feminist-themed varsity jackets, the designer’s latest collection will extend up to size 4X and 28. The public will have the opportunity to pre-order the Spring/Summer 2020 collection until September 18 at hilarymacmillan.com.

Farley Chatto showcased its first “seasonless” collection of luxurious sustainable furs and accessories. The designer presented a whopping 38 looks that were testaments to his fur mastery but also to his expertise in bespoke tailoring and womenswear. Very few know that Chatto trained at Maison Lesage in Paris, a couture house that serves the likes of YSL, Dior, Chanel and LaCroix. Inspired by the Golden ’20s in Shanghai, the show spoke about luxury, longevity, timelessness and heritage – fashion statements that transcend the trends and seasons.
Adrian Arnieri closed night one with a Spice Girls-inspired collection, taking ’90s pop culture and making it glam! From an early age, Arnieri admired the iconic pop band and was inspired by their powerful messages of individuality and empowerment. His collection channeled their playful self expression featuring vibrant coloured furs, glossy leather, mesh, sequins and lace.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The captivating looks on the runway were accentuated by makeup from da lish Cosmetics. Hair was courtesy of Redken 5^th Avenue NYC led by Jorge Joao, and nails were done by CND™ Canada lead by Liliya Leheta for Adrian Arnieri, Tamara Di Lullo for Hilary MacMillan and Long Nguyen for Steven Lejambe.The Designer Showroom also opened today, featuring Canadian designers in a consumer-facing market space located at The Lane at Yorkville Village (136 Yorkville Ave). From 10 AM – 7 PM daily, the public and Toronto Fashion Week guests have the opportunity to meet and shop directly from designers from all areas of the industry including Erin Marcus Designs, La Reyna, Lesley Hampton, Christopher Bates, ooobaby, The Brand is Female, ROSÉ Toronto, Hania Kuzbari, BIKO, Clara Lifestyle, Maguire Boutique, Jessica Bedard, Okayok, and ai Toronto Seoul.

Back for another season, STYLE PLATE launched today offering the perfect pairing of style and dining. Participating restaurants and bars offered up signature dishes and/or cocktails inspired by designers showcasing at Toronto Fashion Week. New sister initiative STYLE ART welcomed an artistic twist to Day One of Toronto Fashion Week, showcasing extraordinary fashion-focused pieces by renowned artists at participating galleries. For more information, visit TFW.TO.

ABOUT TORONTO FASHION WEEK®
Toronto Fashion Week®, an event showcasing fashion, art, music and culture takes place in Yorkville, Toronto’s revitalized and most prestigious luxury retail neighborhood. The bi-annual event hosts national and international designers, entertainers and the fashion community to create a touchpoint where fashion is embraced and celebrated. As the leading fashion event in Canada, Toronto Fashion Week creates a catalyst for media engagement, retail activity and global connectivity.

The founding partners are Yorkville Village, The Hazelton Hotel, Freed Developments and Hill & Gertner – an ownership group comprised of several of the country’s top companies in real estate, development and luxury hospitality.

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