FASHION Magazine

Philip Sparks kicked off the fall 2011 season in Toronto last night with the latest in a line of consistently refined collections. Stage strewn with antique toboggans, rackets and boxes with a backdrop of oversized woven deer quilts by artist Grant Heap, it’s no surprise that the designer drew yet again from the idyllic Canadian winter, a setting that has become his inspiration of choice.

Playing on his signature of mix-and-match prep, the combo line—including his sophomore outing for the ladies—was made up of his classic wool and tweed suits, Melton duffle coats and canvas parkas and nipped-waisted tailored dresses featured oversized checks and were adorned with curly shearing. A warm and watery maple leaf print made its way onto a shirtdress, pleated skirt and a capped sleeve blouse, bringing a bit of an artful quality to the mix. Close to the end of the collection, a Janelle Monae lookalike appeared in a cropped black tux with purple lapels and spectator oxfords to boot. Always the first out of the fashion week gate, Sparks’s is a collection so full of delicious details it requires multiple sets of fresh eyes. Here’s to enjoying the rest of the season with peepers similarly peeled.

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Back when Aja Singer and Anna Zeman were new-found Parsons grads, the Toronto and Seattle natives banded together to fill the gap between high-end and the everyday. Five seasons later, the two have clearly defined their New York-based brand, Alex & Eli, as the answer to virtually every wardrobe dilemma a twenty-something girl about town might have. With a combined resume boasting apprenticeships at the likes of Zac Posen, Carolina Herrera and Rodarte, its no wonder that the fairly young brand has got such strong vision. While others may design with pure fantasy in mind, Singer and Zeman just get it.

Both having studied science in their undergraduate years, the designers were inspired by Star Trek when creating their fall collection. Blending those far-out references with the duo’s yen for tailoring, the collection comes off as flawlessly relaxed and firmly planted in reality. As soon as we got our hands on the fall look book, we had no choice but to find out more from the horses’ designers’ mouths.

Fall is looking really bleak. At least in terms of the palette. Burgundy, bottle green, smokey grey and petrol blue have dominated the runways here at the Paris shows, which end today. This morning at Louis Vuitton we were literally met with leathery black balloons hovering above the Carrousel du Louvre ⎯quite a contrast to some of the acid yellow python and orange patent handbags in the crowd.

“This is so confusing,” said the flummoxed woman beside me at Chanel. She later said that it was by the two-way traffic on the runway, but it just as easily could have been the abundance of silhouettes.

There are many reasons why it is so much more enriching to be here in Paris seeing the fall 2011 collections firsthand, rather than simply viewing them on the web. Being alongside buyers and press from around the world puts everything in context.

It is always about five days into a fashion week that the trends become crystal clear. And lo and behold, there I was this morning at Akris, the 5^th day of the Paris fall 2011 shows and here is what was scribbled in my notebook:

Sometimes you look and something coming down the runway and just think, “Huh?”

That happened last night at Lanvin when a black and white floral pouf dress appeared at Alber Elbaz’s fall 2011 show. As I watched the booted mini pass by, my next thought was “‘80s Wayne Clark”. Then, I noticed that the outfit was on Freja Beha Erichsen, and since designers tend to put their most important outfits on the better-known models, I wondered: should we to take this look as directional? Will we be seeing more poufy, oversized florals on the spring 2012 runway? Hmmm….

Bravo to the house of Christian Dior for handling the Galliano debacle with tact and elegance. In a tent at the Musee Rodin, Sidney Toledano, Dior CEO, addressed the crowd, reminding them of the history of the house. He pointed out the legacy of founder, Christian Dior, who loved both women and feminine beauty. He also called to mind the house’s strongly held values of craftsmanship and technique.

Where to begin. Last night, I took in a presentation by the lovely Canadian expat Calla Haynes, who loves to play with watery abstract prints in soft shapes. The models lined up before a row of potted flowers, then Haynes bashfully stepped in among them to take her bow.

Woke up with a smile knowing I had a Balenciaga ticket in hand! After a gulping a cappuccino, I dashed down the Rue de Rivoli to the Hotel Crillon where paparazzi lined the entrance waiting for fashion photo ops. It doesn’t matter how dressed I get for these things, there will always be someone better. This morning, it was a woman in a red Balmain studded moto jacket who got those cameras snapping.

I wish I could tell you that after a transatlantic red-eye and a nap, my first day in Paris started with something noble, like the sculpture exhibit by contemporary British artist Tony Cragg at the Louvre. But, heck, Colette and Chanel have teamed up to create an “ephemeral boutique,” conveniently around the corner from my hotel!