Our style is dynamic. One day we crave the edge of leather, studs and asymmetrically cut blazers, the next we want to be hyper-feminine in high-waisted skirts paired with floaty blouses. Which is how day three at Toronto Fashion Week seemed to play out.
There were the romantic looks -- lots of lace, ruffles, feathers, soft materials and skirts -- at Eva Chen, Melissa Nepton and Cara Cheung, while androgyny reigned supreme at shows like Line. Western and sporty looks for men came courtesy of Bustle.
But our hearts on Wednesday were torn between the luxe designs of two of our all-time favourite designers: Sunny Fong and Joseph Mimran.
VAWK: Fashion And Fantasy
Fong showcased looks from his two lines -- VAWK and VAWKKIN. At VAWK, the fashions were all sci-fi samurai. Based on that, you'd think the looks were masculine, but they were decidedly feminine and completely luxurious. We loved the well-tailored kimono-like jackets and dresses made out of luscious wools, leathers and silk. The colours were also rich: lots of bronze, purple and, for fall, black. The show-closing dress, a copper sequin gown, literally took our breath away.
At VAWKKIN, VAWK's sister collection, traditionally feminine looks -- tweed jackets, wrap dresses and stunning blouses -- were given a masculine edge. Invest in the line if you're looking for creations to wear from the office to a night out on the town. Pops of colour came in the form of turquoise, otherwise the line was all black, grey and navy. Everything is completely wearable.
Which is something Fong wanted from both of his lines -- he wanted to make fashion that was accessible. "I do a lot of research before I put everything together and talk to people about what their needs are and how to translate those needs into something fashionable...VAWKKIN is all about what's fashionable; VAWK is more fantasy."
Joe Fresh: Flush With Colour
Closing out the night was the fall/winter runway of Joe Fresh. As is his style, Mimran went big, bold and bright with his collection. This was one of the only shows thus far to feature lots and lots of colour (something we at HuffPost Canada Style love). There were deep reds, royal blues and an interesting shade of mustard. The fabrics were very 1950s and 60s -- lots of tweed and silk. The soft leathers mixed with wools looked sumptuous.
"This season, we've produced a more serious, downtown collection. Playing with textiles, fabrications and techniques we were able to mix textures and explore new silhouettes while still being true to the nature of the Joe Fresh brand," said Mimran.
Mimran continued with spring's colour blocking and bold print trends, but made them more wearable and sophisticated, pairing the colours with cozy knits and wool sweaters. Accessories also stole the show in the form of touques.
Which got us thinking -- if we could only choose to wear one of these designer's collections for fall, which would you choose? Would you reach for Fong's masculine/feminine/samurai creations, or would you reach for the poppy/preppy/fun designs by Mimran?
