This week has seen a flurry of emails and press releases arrive in my inbox as Toronto/World MasterCard Fashion gears up for its Spring 2014 showcase. Wondering what we can expect from this season’s week-long fashion-a-thon in the tents of David Pecaut Square?
Well, the first buzzed about news is the new public event that will be taking place on Saturday, October 26, aptly dubbed Fashion Saturday. Adding an extra day to its upcoming calendar with a new style event open to the public, Fashion Saturday will feature a Spring 2014 highlights fashion show on the runway, a designer pop-up market showcasing pieces created by Canadian talents, and access to the fashion environment featuring live DJs, hair and makeup installations and trials and refreshments.
Of course, this being WMC Fashion Week, the event isn’t free (heck, press passes aren’t even free) and so tickets for Fashion Saturday are $75 apiece, or $150 for the elite package. That’s something of a disappointment given the event’s aim to “give designers a platform to connect with consumers,” but perhaps die-hard fashionistas and retailers may find some value in attending.
In addition to the new public event, Fashion Week organizers have also released the preliminary roster of designers, labels and retailers set to unveil Spring-Summer collections next month. Bustle, David Dixon, Joe Fresh, Mackage, Melissa Nepton, Pink Tartan, Rudsak, Soia & Kyo, Sid Neigum, Target and Travis Taddeo are among those slated to unveil new looks, with the latter label (Taddeo) celebrating its fifth anniversary collection with a live DJ set by Ryan Playground and new collaboration with ALDO shoes.
Inspired by the easygoing grace and vitality of a new morning, Taddeo’s upcoming Matinée collection (showing on Oct. 22) is aiming to captivate with forward-thinking designs for men and women, in line with the urban, edgy and minimalist aesthetic the designer is known for.
“A desire to surpass my previous work while staying true to the identity of the Travis Taddeo man and woman constantly drives me,” says Taddeo. “Like the street style in my hometown of Montreal, it’s luxurious and cool without being restrictive or overdone. In honour of the fifth anniversary, I wanted to push this to the limit with a return to basics.”
Meanwhile, Stephen Caras will be closing down the week (on Oct. 25) with his collection of flowing fabrics mimicking the fluid nature of the pearl in a palette of blush hues and accentuated undertones. Inspired by the parallels between the pearl and femininity, Caras says, “My design aesthetic and style is always inspired by my deep respect and appreciation for a woman’s natural femininity. While designing this collection, I let my imagination take me down a creative path that began with the feminine nature of the pearl. Feminine, wearable, practical and innately sensual; these are key components of every one of my designs, distilled to their most simplistic form.”
While that’s just a taste of everything that’s going on, the full event schedule can now be found here. So what are you most looking forward to seeing?
Images via WMC Fashion Week
