FASHION Magazine

See all the Mommy after party pics » Trust a Montrealer to breeze into the 6 and throw the chicest after-party like je ne sais quoi. Mommy director Xavier Dolan showed Toronto how it’s done when he feted his latest film Tuesday night at King West hotspot Valdez. Fresh from winning the Cannes Jury Prize […]

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World Mastercard Fashion Week officially kicked off on Monday, and the shows only confirmed what we already knew—Toronto has got some serious design talent. The second show of the night was Vawk, a label known for it’s powerful yet feminine designs and peek-a-boo designs, thanks to strategic cut outs and plenty of sheer fabrics.

Designer Sunny Fong’s first few looks weren’t particularly ground breaking in terms of cut or silhouette, and while they were well executed, the looks felt a little expected. A crop top here, a backless button down shirt here. But it was the intricate tailoring that alluded to a greater talent and skill, and separated them from the rabble. Details like a clever twist collar, an understated way to do a statement collar, and a fur front panel cut and sewn into a subtle inverted triangle pattern, gave some great visual interest to otherwise plain silhouettes.

See the Vawk Fall 2013 collection photos »

When we were first introduced to Sunny Fong on Project Runway Canada, it was clear that his talent extended far beyond reality TV stardom. His exquisite tailoring and attention to detail has made VAWK, his luxury ready-to-wear label, one of the highlights of Toronto Fashion Week. For Fall 2013, Fong focused on what he does best; namely simple, minimalist designs which resulted in a refined and surprisingly wearable collection.

Titled “Nordic Fauna,” VAWK’s Fall 2013 collection was inspired by the clean lines of Scandinavian interior design as well as classic winter hunting attire. An introductory video showing a series of images of the bleak yet strangely beautiful wintertime forests set the stage for what was to be an incredible display of minimalism with a unique Canadian touch. The collection kept with VAWK’s signature neutral colour palette and sexy form-fitting dresses, but stayed away from 1980s Madonna-inspired looks of Spring 2013. What was left was exquisitely crafted clothes that women all over the world would be happy to wear.

See the Vawk and Vawkkin Spring 2013 collection photos »

On the final night of World Mastercard Fashion Week in Toronto, those that were left standing were treated to a double dose of designer Sunny Fong for Spring 2013. Vawkkin, the affordable sister line to his primary label Vawk, offered a variety of tailored LBDs and separates. The brogues added a fresh spin to the frocks. Fong has gone retro ‘80s for spring. If Madonna’s “Justify My Love” blaring from the sound system didn’t tip you off, then his strong line-up of Madge-approved looks would have. Mostly shown in graphic black and white—colours were limited to a lipstick red and a rich eggplant—his latest Vawk collection checked off all the boxes for must-have Spring 2013 trends: exaggerated shoulders, thigh high slits, plunging necklines, leather LBDs and cut-outs with sheer panels. The gold cone bra paired with trousers showcased Fong’s flair for the unexpected but overall the collection didn’t stretch the sartorial limits. Then again, a sexy little leather number by Vawk will always make the cash register sing.

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What’s better than a birthday party? Your own birthday party! On Wednesday night, the FASHION team (well, that’d be us) celebrated the magazine’s 35^th anniversary, and as you might expect, Toronto’s most stylish guys and gals were out in full force. 700 of our closest friends packed into the Distillery’s Fermenting Cellar to toast us with Skyy Vodka cocktails, mini burgers and musical performances by Divine Brown and The Parallels.

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The tutus were out in full force for the official opening of the National Ballet of Canada’s twofold exhibitions celebrating the company’s first 60 years. 60 Years of Designing the Ballet and the Tutu Project debuted with a glitzy reveal at Toronto’s Design Exchange, with everyone from the ballet’s own dancers like Greta Hodgkinson, Tina Pereira and former prima ballerina Victoria Tennant to Jeanne Beker and Vawk’s Sunny Fong raising a glass in toast. The first exhibit, a look back at some of the most notable costumes and sets curated by the company’s former costume designer Caroline O’Brien, came complete with ultra-lifelike dessert tables and a magical blue sleigh from The Nutcracker and several costumes for the wishful dancers to try on and pose with (we indulged, obviously). The second, an assembly of 60 specially designed tutus—one to celebrate each year in business—was displayed throughout the room. Guests seemed to take their toast quite literally, with Kara Alloway in a voluminous Mary Katrantzou lampshade skirt, Karolyne Ellacott in an actual tutu dress and several other attendees sporting pulled-back ballet topknots.

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“Never seen so many Canadian designed outfits worn at a gala in Toronto.” Derick Chetty’s tweet from last night’s Toronto Fashion Incubator fete said it all. The 25^th anniversary party held at the Royal Ontario Museum was a Canadian fashion love-in.

CBC’s Nil Koksal pinned an enormous white orchid in her hair to match her floral Pink Tartan wrap dress. YSL Beaute’s Jane Connell rocked a crinolined Wayne Clark. And after stealing the Barbie runway show with her robot moves, The Listener’s Tara Spencer-Nairn slipped into a plum kimono dress with gold obi by Vawk.

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If yesterday’s Vawk show was any indication, designer Sunny Fong’s muse for fall was a Grecian goddess-meets-art-deco Amelia Earhart. Models stormed down in the runway in aviation caps (sans goggles, sadly) and in regal purple and bronze.

The collection touched on some of the biggest trends for fall. The waist was the zone of focus; fur adorned peplums and leather bands created super-flattering nipped-in silhouettes. And then there was the art-deco detailing seen on the spring runways of the likes of Gucci and Alberta Ferretti. Geometric lines decorated skirts and dresses to much success.

Post-finale, the audience was shown a film of Fong describing the Vawkkin (Vawk’s accessible sister line) modus operandi. Kudos to the designer for making a fashion week film with some substance.

Then came Vawkkin, modeled by “real women” (because real women can only ‘Vawkkin’ budget clothing lines?). The more affordable collection of maybe too much black and grey (and a somewhat budget looking turquoise fabric) touched on some real trends (read: peplums) and seemed to be met with approval from the crowd.

Sunny Fong’s label Vawk has given birth to Vawkkin, a more affordable sister label, targeted towards young professionals. The collection, expected to preview this spring, will consist of lots of neutrals. There are sure to be some killer basics, and we can’t wait to scoop them up. Merci, Sunny! Read more »

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Far from bug eyed, the direction for hair and makeup at Vawk focused in on specific parts of Sunny Fong’s “insects and architecture” inspiration. “For me, architecture is a lot of windows and reflection, so I went with a gold reflection, like the sun,” said Eddie Malter, official makeup artist of L’Oreal Paris, when describing the gold shadow (Wear Infinite Eye Shadow Quad “823”) he applied inside the eye and along the crease. Then, to capture the essence of insect antenna, Malter applied Lineur Intense eyeliner in “Carbon Black” to the lower lash line, extending the line out. However, the crowning moment was a pair of custom Maddox eyelashes made from paper—applied to just one model for the show.

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A 9:30 p.m. time slot during LGFW could be runway suicide for a designer, but not if your name is Sunny Fong. This pint-sized fashion powerhouse packed the tents on Thursday night for Vawk’s Spring 2012 show. (In the past Fong has presented his collections in a more intimate setting at the Art Gallery of Ontario.) His gorgeous pleats, diaphanous fabrics, rosy blush tones, and earthy tie-dye prints (think moss green paired with ivory) were as fresh as a spring breeze, but his anything-but-boring basics, namely a blush toned trench coat, quietly showcased Fong’s strong suit—tailoring. His curved “Beetle” frock and sweeping “Butterfly” finale dress gave a nod to all beautiful winged things, while a handful of resort looks that paraded out at the show’s start­ were given the Midas touch à la intricate laser-cut gold-leather waist cinchers. He even tried his hand at swimwear, sending several sexed-up one-piece bathers (cut-outs are the new bikini) down the runway. Like his light-as-air tiered skirt, it’s clear Fong has many layers.

The last stop in our studio invasion series was to the East side studio/apartment belonging to Vawk‘s Sunny Fong. While bright light shone in through the wall-to-wall windows, the team was busy at work on the Spring show. Set to be shown at 9:30 p.m. tonight, Fong hinted that the collection is inspired by everything from architecture, to moths, to grasshoppers!

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