Mikael D Fall 2015: Canada’s red carpet king closes out World MasterCard Fashion Week

by Jacquelyn Francis March 30, 2015

At the recent Canadian Arts and Fashion Awards, a socialite swished and squished between tables in the most enormous, elaborate ballgown seen on this side of a televised royal wedding. Of course it was by Mikael D, because no one in Canada is doing what the Montreal-raised designer is doing when it comes to red carpet style. “It’s an aesthetic that I’ve kept, and clients come to me for that look,” said D backstage before his Fall 2015 presentation at World MasterCard Fashion Week in Toronto. “To change would be like telling Oscar de la Renta to stop making gowns or Zac Posen to stop using taffeta.”

Local socialites like Jenna Bitove (said swisher) and Krystal Koo are longtime fans, and this “Mystical China” collection demonstrates how D has been influenced by his growth in the Asian market. “We have a lot of clients from that area, so I’ve really had to dive into that, and it interests and intrigues me.” After opening dramatically to the sound of pulsing Taiko drums and the sight of young dancers in choreographed martial arts sequences, a parade of ornate gowns—predominantly black, red and gold—glided down the runway. D’s way with transparency is particularly spectacular. His play with sheer textiles can slash and favourably contour a woman’s body, or it can appear as ladylike peekaboo lace. Sometimes that nude detailing can seem almost dangerous, like a tattoo onto its wearer (it’s also refreshing to see a designer use runway models with feminine curves to support the gowns). Ever the traditionalist, D closed his presentation, and fashion week, for that matter, with a bride in gown. The base of the dress is made up of 250 yards of gathered tulle, topped with a layer of white horse hair fabric and metallic Chantilly lace. The train was embellished with four flowers—peony, lotus, narcissus and daffodil—each hugely symbolic in Chinese culture. Mystical, indeed.