If the tuxedo is in vogue once again, we can thank Waxman and his tireless crusade for helping to bring this timeless classic back into men's as well as women's wardrobes. If one passed by the unassuming Waxman boutique on Montreal's Parc Avenue, a fashion house founded by Wolf Waxman in 1927, you would wonder how those four walls could contain the bounding energy of Mr. Waxman.

The Billy Waxman Gala was held at the old Locoshop Angus train yards in Montreal, a near-sacred mecca of the industrial revolution, and its historical influence cast a sentimental shadow on what was perhaps one of the grandest fashion events in Canadian fashion history. No expense was spared as the capacity crowd was treated to the tuxedo interpretations of nearly twenty Canadian designers, including Dubuc, Denis Gagnon, POW, Tavan & Mitto, Nadya Toto, Marisa Minicucci, Marie Saint Pierre, Wantstil, C'est pas Grave and many others.

The stage was a virtual playground for Montreal's creative thinkers, as they showed how a little imagination could rework the tux in a big way. Mr. Waxman himself took the opportunity to reveal his new collection of crushed red velvet and electric blue suede. Of course, there was a sea of black and white to choose from. The decadent, outdoor cocktail party and barbecue that followed proved to be the crystallizing moment of Montreal Fashion Week.

"It's the year of the tuxedo," said Waxman. "Gucci, Prada, YSL, it's everywhere. My collection revitalizes the traditional values of the tuxedo (in colours as electric as the man himself), and we even pulled some pieces out of the archives for the show." Where does the event go from here? "I'm taking it to New York, Paris, and other European cities." If you aren't already a believer in the tuxedo, spend five minutes with Billy Waxman and I guarantee you'll think twice about leaving home without your bow tie.

Daniel Cox
Fashion Editor
Marek Wlazlo
Photographer


Copyright ©2002 MINIMIDIMAXI LTD. - The Canadian Fashion Stage
All Rights Reserved