Laura Siegel Fall 2013: The rock ‘n’ roll nomad brings the desert to Toronto Fashion Week

See the Laura Siegel Fall 2013 collection »

In fashion, it’s hard not to quickly condense designer Laura Siegel into a category like “eco-luxe,” or the much-maligned “tribal.” So I’ll fight that impulse and say this: Siegel’s work does transport you to another land. Her colours for Fall 2013 include warm-weather ivory, a blue-green reminiscent of the Andaman Sea by night and rusty red, like grains of sand you might find in Southern Africa. Laura Siegel’s style can be accessible at times (harem pants, roomy, belted dresses), and at other times a little out there. It’s clear she draws her greatest inspiration from global experience. The Toronto-born graduate of Parsons The New School for Design in New York City has travelled and observed extensively the techniques of artisans in India, Bali and Hong Kong. Her Spring 2013 collection leaned heavily on bright, voluminous layers in wood-block prints. If that seemed bohemian, it also made her a new wave designer whose vision included ethically gathered materials.

Fall 2013 sees Siegel build on her signature aesthetic. The harem pants and stretchy mixed-material bottoms are wearable enough, but it’s Siegel’s accessories and outer pieces—her capes, knits and leathers—that show her handiwork and ingenuity. Patchworks of heavy embroidery, tapestry folded over into bags and a blue-green leather jacket are fit for a rock ’n’ roll nomad (there it is: a category!), while the chunky knits are complex, multi-purpose pieces that beg to be held up for closer inspection. For Laura Siegel, the journey continues.

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