Its hard to pin point a designer who embodies their namesake label as much as Amanda Lew Kee. Just a hunch, but perhaps this is because we haven’t seen too many other designers model their own collections at Fashion Week. And no, we’re not referring to label representation on a day-to-day basis, we mean literally presenting their new collection to the press, on their own body. Amanda Lew Kee is her brand, and if you didn’t get that before, she’s making sure you get it now with her latest collection. Starring in her own video presentation screened at Toronto nightclub, The Hoxton — far from the official runway of Toronto Fashion Week — the designer has reverted back to her signature “fierce” esthetic with an abundance of black and black leather for F/W12. View all collection images (and video) HERE.

 

Faded into the background is the hopelessly romantic woman, best known as the Greta Constantine creation. Although the Grecian drapes and flowing details haven’t fully disappeared, the overall softness has been replaced by a sharp modern woman. There is tailoring, waists cinched with black leather obi belts, and clear-cut silhouettes. Interestingly, the design duo chose a rich, jewel tone palette for their fall/winter collection, after foregoing any use of hue for spring/summer. The brand’s signature woman is still present in the design, but this time she’s ready to take on the big city, with a working-wardrobe in hand. View all collection images HERE.

 

The trickle effect of Black Swan hasn’t finished quite yet, and that’s fine with us. Lucian Matis launched Toronto Fashion Week with the unveiling of his dramatic fall/winter collection, suitably set within a grand baroque ballroom in the Royal York Hotel. A vamp caught inside the Victorian came to when models sauntered down the runway, covered from ankle to neck in sheer chiffon and black macramé that simultaneously left little, and yet quite a lot, to the imagination. Then the glossy dark feathers appeared on dresses, capes and jackets, and we fell in love with Toronto’s very own creator of Paris-worthy haute couture all over again. View all collection images HERE.

 

The nomadic esthetic of Laura Siegel’s F/W 2012 collection signifies her relationship and outlook between humans and earth.  The dusty colours, soft layers and abstract prints have an organic quality that — once released from the runway — are harmonious alongside the natural elements. It is a design philosophy shared by the eastern hemisphere, and it’s not hard to recognize the heavy influence of our global counterparts in her collection. Refreshingly, Siegel is an emerging talent with a great concern for the future of fashion and the sustainability of our planet, and it is this, her rustic vision, that showcases her amongst this week’s most modern of all. View all collection images HERE.

 

Is this kid Canada’s answer to Rick Owens? The simple answer: Yes. Sid Neigum certainly has the talent to rival, and we’ve only half lost him to New York City, so far. This collection is for the man who prefers to be void of any wardrobe colouring, or tailoring. Reaching instead for heavy draping, harem pants, tunic lengths and a lot of leather.  It may not be for every man, but it is brilliantly well done. View all collection images HERE.

 

The use of goth-y severity to portray fashion in the year’s darker months has become a bit tired in our books. But it is harder to dismiss when presented in a way that reminds us so fondly of one of our all time favourite movies: Buffy The Vampire Slayer (the original!). We imagine the girls of Chloe Comme Parris F/W 2012 to be the stylish 90s girl-clique vampires – both melancholic and ethereal. The clever sort who were hiding in the underworld, while the rest were getting attacked by Kristy Swanson and her stake. Thus, we approve, big time. View all collection images HERE.