Ottawa Fashion Week S/S '12: Day 3 recap

I write to you from bed, where I have been for the past 15 hours, for Ottawa Fashion Week has drained me of all energy and health.  In other words, after running around for the past few days, I'm finally feeling the consequences.  This is undoubtedly the worst fashion week hangover I have ever experienced.  And no, it's not from that glass of champagne I had at the show (that consequently caused me to flush red- how embarassing!).

The final day began with an African-inspired collection from Jana Hanzel & Emilia Torabi.  Though not something I would wear personally, I enjoyed the eclectic mix of tribal prints, colours, and cuts.  Next was DeMoyo with a beautiful simplistic collection with a subtle touch of unique structure and detailing.  The soft colour scheme was great, but cobalt blue and kelly green were great see too.  This was definitely one of my favourites of the night because of its classy practicality.

Rachel Sin started off the second set with her dressy collection that featured her classic structured pieces.  The collection included some LBDs and little white dresses with an edgy unique touch.  The pantsuits were also great to see since it strayed away from the usual cocktail occasion pieces.  Symbiose by Hinda A was next with a lovely mix of casual ready-to-wear ensembles with a classy touch.  While most pieces were simple, the use of patterns, metallics, and sheers were a great addition.  Samuel Dong captivated the audience with his great collection of dresses of varying patterns, structures, and colours.  All the pieces held a great spring/summer essence with pastel tones and cute cuts that balanced luxury and practicality.

David McCaffrey continued with the dresses with his couture collection.  In addition to tastefully extravagant white wedding gowns, he also designed beautiful dresses in black and champagne.  Ruffles, layers, and floor-sweeping hems are one thing, but it was the black sequin dress that stole the show.  For the "big finale", we had Edit by Jeanne Beker.  For those that don't know, she's basically the face of Canadian fashion.  But this doesn't mean that her collection should be automatically praised.  The clothing was not just casual and (overly) practical, but it was extremely soccer mom-esque.  The pieces looked like things I could pick up from Reitmans or Sears for about $30 bucks.  But hey, if that's your thing, I won't knock it.

Overall, Ottawa Fashion Week was extremely exhausting, but fun as always.  I (re)connected with some great people and really love the fashion and media community- they're hilarious, witty, and the drama always keeps things fresh.  Until next time, fashion week!


*Photos were taken by me but belong to Ottawa Fashion Week
*Views expressed are my own and not of Ottawa Fashion Week

Ottawa Fashion Week S/S '12: Day 2 recap

Day 2 of Ottawa Fashion Week brought on a spectacle of performances to accompany the fashion.  A little less of things that I would actually buy, but there's nothing wrong with unconventional fashion, right?

First up was Illyria with straight cuts and cutout back dresses that added an edge to a refined look.  Next up was Karine Breton with her "Everyone Has a Dream" collection.  This quirky collection of binary opposites featured outfits with loose hems paired with structured cuts.  Particularly interesting was the umbrella-like shoulder decals.  Kania brought the party to the runway with models that practically danced down the catwalk while wearing extravagant feathers.  The clothing itself came in a variety of loose and curve-hugging cuts, but honestly, the feathers and fun energy of the models stole the show.  The whole audience was up in a standing ovation, fairly tempted to join along in the dancing.

Nu.I kicked off the second set with an energetic collection of abstract patterns, florals, coloured accents, and long dangly earrings.  Vibrancy and practicality were prevalent here, which made this collection a fave of mine.  Next was Barcelona designer Alexis Reyna with his tribal zombie-esque collection.  Loose cuts and mesh were popular designs, which Reyna affirmed by walking out in mesh shorts and giving the audience an...intimate view of himself.  Tribal zombie clothing is one thing, but the caveman-looking Reyna acting as paparazzi to his own models definitely made an entertaining production out of his show.

Ralph Leroy was first in the final set of the night.  His collection was reminiscent of the elements with firey designs, hot rain gear, and impressive flowy hemlines.  This designer definitely did not shy away from vivid colour, which was a refreshing change from others.  Lastly, we had Travis Teddeo who brought on simpler cuts with draped necklines and semi-sheer light fabrics.

Overall, I was more impressed with the execution of the shows that turned into entertaining performances rather than the fashions themselves.  Okay, so I get distracted easily and the fashion almost became secondary to a unique showing.

*Photos were taken by me but belong to Ottawa Fashion Week 
*Views expressed are my own and not of Ottawa Fashion Week

Ottawa Fashion Week S/S '12: Day 1 recap

The most beautiful week of hell is back.  I say this because I do a lot more running around (more mentally than physically) in preparation for Ottawa Fashion Week, but it's always worth it.

To kick off this new season, we had Birds of North America with a beautifully adorable collection with a tasteful refinement.  I could totally see myself wearing one of their dresses to the office, then taking a quaint stroll in the park.  Definitely a practical collection.  Except for the bandages on the models' mouths, eyes, and legs.  Excuse the fact that I'm not artsy enough to understand this.  Next up was Amber Watkins with a hot swimsuit collection.  High-waisted swim shorts and cutouts? Yes, please! I'd pretty much just sit around the pool to show off my swimsuit instead of actually swimming if I owned a piece from this collection.  Valerie Dumaine finished up the first set with her feminine collection of mostly neutrals and darling dresses.  The structures of her dresses are what impressed me most.  As a friend point out, "I could totally see this whole collection at H&M or something".

The second set began with Micalla, a unique jewelry designer.  Sparking chains and chunky necklaces caught my eye with their luxurious allure.  Next up was Anomal with an edgy collection of structured cuts and daring metallics and patterns.  I love how they rock the black, but it was a great change seeing blush tones being added to the repertoire.

UK designer Simon Ekrelius was a crowd favourite with his eccentric collection that featured tinges of orange and red in interesting structures.  After seeing his collection, it's no wonder one of his clients included Lady Gaga- this stuff was definitely tastefully weird.  Last for the night was Rud by Rudsak who gave us practical outerwear in neutral tones.  I could see every one of their pieces being a great staple to any closet.  Classic leather and trenches made it easy to fall in love with this collection.

Favourites of the night: Birds of North America, Valerie Dumaine, Rud by Rudsak.

*Photos were taken by me, but belong to Ottawa Fashion Week