FASHION Magazine

Oh Canada! Today was a day of amazing Canadian talent on the New York scene with Kimberley Newport-Mimran showing a Brigitte Bardot on the Riviera–inspired collection filled with a mix of jumbo and petite polka-dot pieces, drop-waist, ruffled tank dresses, and bright hits of tangerine. The room stayed at capacity for most of the presentation, forcing nightclub bouncer-like behavior from the security, counting guests in as the same numbers left the space. And across town, Kaelen Farncombe from Oakville, Ontario, showed a relaxed collection of pale blue, blush, and nude crinkled cottons, crepe de Chine, and macramé knits that all looked too cozy to leave the house but too fabulous not to. Ink blot prints, designed in collaboration with another Canadian, Sarah Dobson, on maxi dresses and short suits were a standout.

Yet another of the hot young Canadian talents burning up NYC, Toronto native Kaelen Farncombe is one expatriate you might want to keep dibs on. Relocating to the Big Apple to study fashion design at Parsons New School for Design a few years back, Farncombe honed her skills while interning for designers Stella McCartney and Jenni Kayne. Channeling the easy sophistication favoured by those two designers, Farncombe launched her own effortless line of standout separates, Kaelen, early last year. With only three collections to date, the 26-year-old has developed a reputation for spinning unusual inspirations (her starting point for Spring was literal tornado chasing) into richly modern pieces that seem to transcend trends. The young designer’s aesthetic is already easily identifiable: effortless, elongated geometry with pops of colour like fall 2011’s riffs on chartreuse, red and tangerine.

We chatted with Farncombe about her aesthetic, chasing tornadoes and the business of fashion.