League of Lovers, Evan & Dean and more
{FASHION WEEK SPRING 2009 TORONTO}
By Sarah Nicole Prickett
At League of Lovers and Thieves, a collaborative interplay between Toronto designers Sonja Den Elzen (Thieves) and Dana Kiyoko Takeda (League of Lovers), hearts were stolen with ease and grace.
From the first strains of Sigur Rós and the first steps on those impossible shoes—carved-out blocks of wood tethered tenuously to models’ feet with bits of twisted fabric—The Studio’s intimate audience was noticeably spellbound. Looks were layered and asymmetrical, balancing conceptual Japanese draping with Scandinavian austerity, and came in muted or translucent hues: bone, cloud grey, putty, slate blue and charcoal. Organic cotton dresses had a silvery sheen, while trousers and a ballet skirt in the same fabric were screened with a constellation print—stellar, literally. On-trend feather motifs showed up too, on the front of a sheer tank and all over a cute jersey onesie. Colour came softly in the form of a grey-over-peach frock with a pintucked hem (uneven on purpose, natch) and shimmery lilac tights. A couple of watercolour print dresses, tie-dyed and ribbon-tied, were just as pretty. For the guys, schoolboy shorts (shown, like most of the collection, over ruched leggings) and loose, lightly pleated trousers ruled.
Judith Desjardins gave spectators two shows for the attention span of one. First up was her Bodybag by Jude label, a cutesy capsule collection that looks like weekend wear for young working girls. There were a few sweet frocks, like a swingy strawberry-red number with ruffle placket, and the requisite jumpsuits. The rest was separates, versatile but mostly uninteresting: Bermudas, twill pants and little sateen jackets. Pleated jersey pieces came in beachy colours, from sand to sun-yellow and turquoise. A purple maxi dress, snap-buttoned all the way down would be great to wear on vacation, assuming you don’t want to meet anyone there—it’s about as sexy as it sounds.
The last third of show belonged to J.U.D.E., the designer’s after-hours alter ego. Sophisticated silks—like a black-and-ivory, DVF-ish print or a wine-stain purple—made for pretty skirts and party dresses. Uptown girls will approve.
Vancouver’s Evan & Dean, and the line’s designers, Raymond Boutet and Lyle Reimer, are quickly earning a name on the scene as the Pretty Boys: the fresh, feminine clothes are made to make girls feel gorgeous. Crafted from all-organic materials, the Spring 2009 collection was as nice to nature as it was inspired by it. Hand-cut flower and leaf appliqués—with metalwork wrist and shin cuffs to match—graced everything from swingy shifts to boxy, short-sleeve jackets (a must-have shape for the season) to, um, pedal-pushers? Colour combinations took a very West Coast view: cloud white on pale sky twill or wet sand on crude oil silk. Just when we were yawning from all the natural neutrals, out came new leaves (gilded greens) and fiercely blooming tiger lilies (hot tangerines and corals). The final numbers—gleaming column or A-line gowns—crescendoed to a wedding dress in ivory-to-putty, bust-to-hem appliqué. Simply stunning.
EVAN & DEAN | DAY 4: PART 2 | DAY 3
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