Toronto
- The Canadian fashion scene was set ablaze for Toronto Fashion Week
Spring 2002, from September 19-21, an auspicious 3 days of vaulting
Canadian fashion into the international crucible.
The event,
held primarily at the palatial Liberty Grand Entertainment Complex on
the National Exhibition grounds, was a stellar opportunity for fashion
hounds to get a foretaste of Canadian Spring 2002 designs. Canada's
biggest names came out to play, including Joeffer
Caoc of Misura, David
Dixon, Crystal
Siemens, Dubuc,
Pat
McDonagh, Marilyn
Brooks, Ula
Zukowska , as well as leather by Chako
and knitwear by Ronda
B. Fresh, new talent like Yolanda
Ng, Thien
Le and Number
six also gravitated to this growing Canadian fashion forum to take
advantage of the spotlight that many have worked hard to attain. All
told, 30 designers contributed to the week's success.
The
Fashion Design Council of Canada (FDCC), organizer of Toronto Fashion
Week, is a non-profit organization dedicated to galvanizing the
fashion community and raising its international profile. President
Robin Kay has a clear vision of what directions the FDCC will be
taking over the years. "The Canadian
fashion industry is burgeoning with talent. It takes marketing expertise
for our designers to make it globally." Providing
this marketing savvy to Canadian designers is a top priority for
the FDCC.
The
new, re-vamped fashion week also hailed the introduction of the Toronto
Fashion Week Fashion Environment, a contemporary display space for designers
to present their collections concurrently with the runway shows. This
feature was taken advantage of by such participating designers as 100
Degrees, Adam Quang-AQU Inc., Blushing Designs, Brenda Beddome, Catherine
Brulé Collection, Damzels in this Dress, Deborah Brown-Trig, Domenic Bellissimo,
Glynis Dupuis-Response, Jeanne Lottie, Leibovitz & Co., Nina Mdivani,
Olena Zylak, Olivera Savic, Shelli Oh, Sim & Jones, Splendor in the Grass,
Ula Zukowska, Vassel & Esoin, Viola So, YSO.
'Youthquake'
is yet another nascent showcase christened at Toronto Fashion Week, this
one geared to creating a window for the future faces of fashion, including
the Wolves label.
Another
important coup distinguishing this edition of Fashion Week from previous
ones was the participation of several Montreal designers, who without
which the Canadian fashion industry would hardly be as potent. Rising
stars Philippe Dubuc, Catherine Brulé and Siphay Southidara of
YSO injected an adrenaline rush into the TFW calendar, rounding out
an accurate scope of the Canadian brand of fashion that is making waves
in global waters.
Daniel
Cox
Fashion Editor Marek Wlazlo
Photographer
Minimidimaxi
LTD. - The Canadian Fashion Stage
