FASHION Magazine

See the PARKLUXE 2014 show and party photos » Like what you see on the runway? Why not buy it right after the show? For PARK, it’s less Moda Operandi with its deposits and pre-orders, and more about making in-season purchases directly from the designers at post-runway popup shops. On October 4th the concept came […]

The post Inside Calgary’s Parkluxe 2014: 20 photos of the city celebrating the best of its design talent appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

See the PARKLUXE fashion show and party photos »

A large metal door retracted into the ceiling at the end of a long runway, and a Mercedes Benz SLK 55 AMG Convertible (we checked) roared into view, casting a dark silhouette, the high beams momentarily blinding the audience. Another sleek silhouette, tall and lean, stepped from the machine and took a powerful stance before 400 guests.

By now, Calgary’s non-profit organization PARK (Promoting Artists | Redefining Kulture) has secured a reputation for hosting premier fashion events in Alberta (see our spring coverage from their emerging designer event, PARKSHOW). On Saturday night, the second annual PARKLUXE, which features four stand out Canadian designers who share a high-end market, pushed the envelope with a conceptual show at the Hyatt Auto Gallery Mercedes Benz in central Calgary.

Toronto-based designer Caitlin Power (a Calgary native) drew from the audience a collective gasp of admiration, as her bold, structured line kicked off the Fall 2012 collections from Anne B. Accessories (Calgary), Nicole Campre (Edmonton), and Lauren Bagliore (Calgary/New York). The latter designer gave us something to dream about, closing the show with a grand total of 34 looks, all luxury leather, draping, wool, and Bagliore’s signature Italian black matte jersey.

Traditionally this weekend has always been about the turkey dinner and the turkey drop (may you not be on the receiving end). Beware the tryptophan-induced food coma because this long weekend there are plenty of fashionable, non-turkey related things to get up to: shopping sprees at the mall, runway shows in the prairies and the birthday of a beer baron.