What made this week really exciting compared to other seasons was the crop of fresh, young designers and their colourful, happy collections—surging with the vibrancy and originality normally seen on New York and London runways. We rounded up the three designers to keep on your list of ones to watch.
Courtesy of Hayley Elsaesser. Photo: George Pimentel.
Hayley Elsaesser
70s-inspired Magic 8 Balls, vipers, flames and groovy nostalgia were all featured in Hayley Elsaesser’s collection of fancy sweatshirts, comfortable and colourful sweatpants, overalls and jumper-style dresses. Real-people models—punky hair and piercings—made the show completely approachable and the show even more appealing. The outfits and prints were wonderfully unisex and unapologetically bright.
hayleyelsaesser.com
Photo courtesy of Atelier Wonder. Photographer: Fatine Violette Sabiri.
Atelier Wonder
Inspired by sci-fi movies, artificial intelligence and “robotic super humans,” this collection showed off Paulina Wonder’s flair for costume design (she’s created outfits for Cirque and garments for Paris couture week). Somehow we think that her tendency for the dramatic comes from the time she spent at London’s Central Saint-Martins in 2012 and Concordia University’s textile-focused classrooms. She has a way with textiles that we kind of love.
atelierwonder.com
Photo: George Pimentel
Mélissa Nepton
Mélissa Nepton walked the runway with her twin sister, Natasha Nepton, who helped design the fall collection titled “Romantic Warriors.” Nubby knits in salt-and-pepper, cream and grey hues and neoprene in pretty pastels made for a cosy collection of normcore-perfect ensembles. Apres-ski or apres-brunch, this collection was certainly all about lounging, stylishly. Layering infinity cardigans and soft shorts over tights, the Nepton sisters make looking chic both comfortable and easy.
melissanepton.com
