Mackage Fall 2014: 50 looks that prove you can survive a Canadian winter in style

by Caitlin Agnew March 20, 2014

See the Mackage Fall 2014 collection »

To survive a Canadian winter in style, it’s crucial to have an arsenal of coats and layers in your closet that actually keep you warm. No one has perfected this art better than Elisa Dahan and Eran Elfassy. The Montreal-based co-creative directors of Mackage have made it their mission to keep us looking sleek in the sleet.

Feeling the chilly effects of the unyielding and sometimes cruel power of Mother Nature, the designers found inspiration in the much-maligned polar vortex of 2014. “We really want to show that you can look amazing even though it’s cold, even if you’re bundled up,” said Dahan backstage before the show. “For us, a coat is not a commodity anymore. It’s your outfit.”

Showcased on a runway covered in faux fall leaves, this season’s offerings are sure to please the most discerning of northern dwellers. Quilted leather bombers, boucle tweed trench coats, camo varsity jackets, magenta cocoon coats and parkas, of course, were layered over neoprene crop tops, wool skirts and leather pants. The brand’s handbag collection, which launched last season, has been expanded to include options for the boys, including laptop bags and backpacks.

Designing with the urban lifestyle in mind, Dahan and Elfassy know that no day in the city is complete without our favourite tunes. Many of the models sported metallic headphones by Frens while they strut to a mix by New York’s regular Mackage collaborator Brendan Fallis. As Dahan says, “It’s no longer cool to just be relaxed or just be luxe. It’s about combining the two.” Mission accomplished.