WORLD MASTERCARD FASHION WEEK SPECIAL EDITION
LACERDA Vinny Lacerda S/S’14 women’s sportswear collection was a breath of fashion-forward fresh air. Inspired by 80’s and 90’s design, Lacerda’s collection was a myriad of high fashion silhouettes; oversized tees, bombers, halter dresses in stark white with splashes of tangerine, dazzling blue, and kaleidoscopic prints. Models appeared with wet-looking, slicked back locks, gold chokers, flatform and a birkenstock-esk sandals equipped with Doc Martens inspired hardware and leather detailing.
WHITNEY LINEN Season after season our love for Whitney Linen grows and grows. The designer duo, Whitney Westwood and Franciska Veress are an unstoppable force: expanding this year into couture and a signature Menswear line. The S/S ‘14 season, inspired by Mediterranean vacation was full of perfected luxury—all crafted out of premium linen. On trend with navy and sky blues, crisp white and neutrals. We saw plenty of casual separates but the real heavy weight of the night was the Moroccan inspired print featured in one shouldered tunics to our favourite full maxi skirt.
CAITLIN POWER Now a World MasterCard Fashion Week household name, designer Caitlin Power presented a strong S/S’14 womenswear collection full of leather, tribal twists and cutting edge pieces in Cadmium red, yellow-green and geometric patterns. Streamlined separates were paired, creating ‘Power Suit’ silhouettes.
BUSTLE Bustle husband and wife design duo, Shawn Hewson and Ruth Promislow have nailed men’s cheeky fashion. Inspired by the landscapes and climate of Mexico the S/S ‘14 collection was full of vibrant, over the top prints, bold florals, and tropical designs. Both separates and suits appeared in a rainbow of prints and colours; from electric yellow to bold coral, peach, pastels, and shades of vibrant and sky blue.
CARA CHEUNG Cara Cheung’s inaugural WMCFW women’s wear S/S14 collection was chalked full of sexy appeal. Side cutouts and crop tops were showcased in black and pops of white and lime green. Asymmetrical hemlines, high slits and sheer panels accentuated the provocative vibe. Larger than life gems, and leather ensembles in lime green added a splash of unexpected cool to the collection.
RUDSAK If there was ever a one stop shop for Canadian cool it has to be Montreal based Rudsak. Designed by Evik Asatoorian Rudsak showed an impressive S/S14 collection that featured mens and womens ready-to-wear, outerwear, handbags, shoes AND accessories. The collection had a mostly monochromatic palette of white, black and grey, some tan, and one very notable silver metallic leather jumpsuit. We were head over heels for the sheer, beach-style cover-up in neutral and the leather snake print shorts.
DAVID DIXON Renowned Canadian designer, David Dixon capped off WMCFW opening night with a stunning and elegant show in all black and white. Highlights were the structured silhouettes, beautiful cut and embroidered lace, silks embellished with sequins, chiffon, and ostrich feather peplums.
PARIA SHIRVANI & ALEX KOHLER The Collections are always ahead of the curve when it comes to innovative ways to showcase up and coming designers. Point in case ‘Threshold’ A Toronto fashion week showcase minus the competitive vibe. This year’s newcomers, Paria Shirvani and Axel Kohler wowed all. Shirvani showcased inventive, reimagined silhouettes, and Kohler knocked it out of the park with his ‘bad-boy’ cool aesthetic.
LAURA SIEGEL Right before announcing her collection will be sold at Holt Renfrew as part of their H project, New York based Laura Siegel debuted a Spring collection full of naturally dyed linens in soft blues and nudes, leather shorts, structured jackets and drop waist loose pants. The breezy, feminine looks were pulled together with neutral booties and Siegel’s signature jewellery designs. The ethically handcrafted pieces impart a relaxed boho vibe.
PINK TARTAN Touting Edie Sedgewick as her muse for Spring, designer Kimberly Newport Mimran showed a monochromatic palette with pops of neon and Warhol-esk flowers. The Pink Tartan silhouette was maintained through full, calf length skirts and swinging jackets mixed with the seasons favourites: embossed and laser cut textiles.
TRAVIS TADDEO Montreal designer, Travis Taddeo showcased his trademark monochromatic, pared down, unisex sportswear in muted blues, grey and beige for Spring / Summer ‘14. Sweats layered with leather gave the collection a relaxed and edgy feel.
TATSUAKI Dan Liu debuted a fun and flirty, natureinspired collection. Sunny florals, pastel tones and adorable knee-length casualparty dresses.
TARGET In the fashion world the season’s are always a hop-skip and a leap ahead of the current times so when Target transported us to a Winter Wonderland for their Holiday’13 collection it was a certainly a change of pace from the lovely-but-notweather-appropriate S/S14 collections. Supermodel, Erin Wasson opened the runway. Following was everything from casual mens and womens ready-to-wear,, hats and scarves, childrens separates, evening wear and even an appearance from Bullseye, Target’s mascot terrier.
NARCES Pretty party dresses ruled the runway during the Narces S/S14 presentation. Toronto designer, Nikki Wirthensohn’s women’s eveningwear line offered a variety of elaborately embellished dresses in a mix of silhouettes. Highlights included a collection of tattoo embroidered dresses in pale pastels, black and cream, and the showstopper: a figure flattering, buttercream dress with a subtle lace overlay that appeared to glow.
STEPHAN CARAS Seasoned designer Stephan Caras’ S/S14 evening wear collection was an inventive and modern take on evening and bridal wear couture. A romantic palette of creams, black, blush and pink showcased hooped skirts, while pearl accents added artistic interest to sleeves and open backs. Unexpected side cutouts were embellished with pearls, while romantic prints added to the lux collection.
TRIARCHY Nobody does denim quite like Vancouver born sibling trio designers, Triarchy. Inventive washes, edgy hardware details, studs, a variety of colours, prints, waxes and metallics were presented in Triarchy’s signature slim, boot-cut and boyfriend styles for men and women.
MACKAGE You can always count on a show filled with ‘Outerwear Cool’ from Mackage designers duo, Eran Elfassy and Elisa Dahan. A palette of taupe, khaki, and white leather set against classic black, were brought alive with accent pieces in coral red. The Canadian outerwear duo introduced a line of contemporary purses this season, in black, tobacco, and coral complete with nickel toned hardware.
CHRISTOPHER BATES Toronto based designer Christopher Bates showcased a refreshing S/S14 menswear collection which took much inspiration from the French Riviera. Fully of breezy sophistication, Bate’s collection featured well fitting blazers, sun bleached denim, crisp white cotton trousers, banker-style button ups, suspenders, matching button downs, and his signature, impeccably tailored suits. His casual wear line was predominantly neutral and pastels and much to our pleasure, Bate’s signature lipstick kiss collars were still abound.
HILARY MACMILLAIN WMCFW newcomer and Elle Hardwear co-owner, Hilary Macmillan debut her best collection thus far. Inspired by 1890’s artist Alphonse Mucha’s rendition of the Lord’s Prayer (Le Pater) Macmillan utilized the paintings dreamy palette of lilac, lavender, sky blue, metallic, and black and cream contrast. Silks and soft cottons were given an extra touch of femininity with intricate geometric hand embroidery. The highlights of the night were Macmillan’s romantic prints, in particular, a black and white filigree design that appeared to have a metallic sheen to it, creating a magical warmth. Our favourite? An effervescent lilac floral print that appeared in a fairy tale-worthy silhouette.
KLAXON HOWL Toronto based Matt Robinson delivered another strong military and work wear inspired mens line. High waisted, belted trousers, plaid and dark patterned short sleeved button ups, pops of nautical orange, blues and reds, bomber jackets and khakis were presented on a runway set featuring a park bench, lamp, and bicycle— giving off a very contemporary ‘greaser’ vibe.
JOE FRESH The Joe Fresh S/S 14 collection was a fun collection full of primary colours in reds, blues and crisp whites. Zebra, Snakeskin and camouflage appeared in hues of navy, steel and cobalt blue. Trend approved dashes of metallic appeared in moto jackets and pencil skirts. Joe Mimran delivered on his signature selection of something for everyone at a reasonable price. Photos by George Pimentel.
THOMAS BALINT Thomas Balint’s unisex S/S14 collection showcased his signature mix of structured and relaxed silhouettes. This achromatic collection was full of layered linen, cotton, and satin, topped off with wool fedoras, and floppy hats.
BEAUFILLE Toronto women’s wear & accessories line by sister-act design duo Chloe and Parris Gordon, had us California Dreaming: a muted palette and sun bleached geometric neutrals were mixed with edgy hardware, invoking a 90’s D.I.Y vibe. Strategically placed cut-outs & slits were teamed with baring one shoulder and spaghetti strap silhouettes.
JNBY Li Lin of JNBY opened the show with a white palette flowing into warmer browns and meadowy green, olive and beige ensembles. A variety of textures from sheer cotton to linen to denim and brocade. Mid calf and knee length sheer dresses over slim pants with long jackets created a multi textured look.
MIKAEL D Designer Mikael Derderian’s inaugural evening wear collection under his new moniker, ‘Mikael D’ was nothing short of magical. The opulent designs, featuring Derderian’s signature hand embroidery were inspired by 18th century ‘Art Nouveau’ artist, Alphonse Mucha.. The fairy-tale worthy fabrics were displayed in traditional evening wear silhouettes in black, nude, royal blue, cerulean, metallic and the season’s favourite hue of emerald.
MAISON MATTHEW GALLAGHER Milan trained, Matthew Gallagher’s ultra lux, Ready To Wear S/S14 collection was an ode to the Italian Riviera and the sophisticated woman of leisure. Gallagher captured the essence of ‘la Dolce Vita’ with a fresh palette of creams, pale pinks, cherry red accents, and turquoise, keeping things interesting with embossed and custom fabrics from Italy, innovative silhouettes, sexy-yet-sophisticated cuts, and decadent jewel details. Noteworthy invisible straps created a jaw dropping, floating illusion to the back of a rather sexy, curve hugging number.
MELISSA NEPTON Montreal designer, Melissa Nepton presented her Pikuseru collection. Meaning ‘pixel’ in Japanese, the collection stayed true to her vision of ‘modern, ready-towear couture that targets the urban career women’. Nepton’s collection featured navys, creams, and black and white. Full, boxy silhouettes, breezy palazzo pants, sheer juxtapozed with quilted textiles and pixel inspired prints. Unexpected Spring accents included navy blue and red oxfords done by Hush Puppies.
SOIA & KYO To mark it’s 10th anniversary, Soia and Kyo not only presented a stunning S/S’14 mens and women’s outwear collection but also launched the rebranding of the line. Moving forward from the youthful look of their past few seasons, this more mature collection, designed by S&K founder, Ian Elfassy, was a sophisticated and edgy progression of the outwear label’s aesthetic. Taking inspiration from Spring rooftop gardens, the S/S14 collection featured leather bombers and trench coats in earthy tones; taupes, clay and mushroom, to sky blues, and pale pink. The Soia & Kyo attention to detail was evident in asymmetrical pockets, closures, and hardware.
SID NEIGUM Voluminous fabric cinched at the waist and intricate laser cut geometric designs dominated the runway at Sid Neigum. Also of note were the unique “homemade� looking scrap leather booties which appeared on all the models.
STREET STYLE TRENDS One of the most prominent street style trends of WMCFW SS14 was the combination of neutral tones in a variety of textures and patterns. Here, mustard yellow leather pops against a faux fur grey vest, with cheetah print silk pants lengthening the silhouette and drawing attention to the ensemble.
Contrasting colours work together when the tones are of equal vibrance. Bright blue and red don’t clash against a neutral grey and black background.
WORLD MASTERCARD FASHION WEEK SPECIAL EDITION
PUBLISHER, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
MOIRA ROMANO MANAGING EDITOR AND GRAPHIC DESIGN
ISABELLA LE MARCHANT ROMANO MARKET AND FEATURES EDITOR
LAUREN SCHELL FEATURES EDITOR
ASTRID HANDLING HOUSE PHOTOGRAPHER
JESSICA LUU ACCOUNTING
CAROLINE SUES WRITERS
DONAL O’CONNOR, LAUREN SCHELL, ASTRID HANDLING, MOIRA ROMANO, CANDICE SINCLAIR, ISABELLA LE MARCHANT ROMANO EVENT SUPPORT
CHRISTOPHE CHANEL FASHION CONSULTANTS
KAITY PATCHETT, CANDICE SINCLAIR, LAUREN SCHELL, ASTRID HANDLING
WMCFW SPECIAL EDITION, VOLUME 01. Copyright 2013 No part of UNLABELLED may be reproduced in any form without prior written consent from the publisher. UNLABELLED’s liability in the event of an error is limited to a digital correction. UNLABELLED, 203- 225 Commissioners Street, Toronto, ON M4M 0A1 T: 647 837 3338