There is nothing like summer drizzle to spoil an outdoor candlelit dinner — especially one where the dress code is all white. That is unless your evening’s guests are as stylish as they are dedicated, and come prepared with transparent umbrellas and sparklers to combat the dark clouds.

Dressed in head to toe white, the 1400 guests in attendance at last week’s inaugural Toronto Diner en Blanc event, shrugged off the rain and focused on enjoying the festivities of the scrumptious soiree. Toronto’s invite to join the illustrious Diner en Blanc league, puts it in the company of other major cultural capitals including Barcelona, New York and Paris — the event’s origin city

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From an intimate get together in 1988 to today’s grand gatherings spanning the globe around, Diner en Blanc is a designated night for the fashionable denizens of participating cities; to commune and indulge in gourmet food and wine, whilst showing off personal style in an expression of bleached perfection. Fittingly, Toronto’s guests’ all white ensembles acted as the ideal introduction to the upcoming Fall/Winter fashion season.

From the full gowns seen on the runway of the Atelier Versace Fall/Winter 2012-2013 show to the samurai-inspired white-on-white looks spotted at Pronza Shouler, this runway season is enough to debunk the outdated axiom: never wear white after Labour Day.