FASHION Magazine

Gender differentiation was of no importance at the Jeremy Laing Spring 2014 show. Which model—male or female—wore what was only a matter of sizing, according to Laing. The same went for the “not so pretty looking” beauty: Male and female models alike were given matte skin, courtesy Cover Girl Clean Whipped Creme Foundation ($9, well.ca). In order to ensure an on-trend velvet texture, Cover Girl makeup pro, Amélie Ducharme, applied the foundation with a heavy hand. (The more product, the more matte the finish!) Aside from skin, models’ eyebrows were the focus of the face. Ducharme filled them in with a dark shade of Cover Girl Brow and EyeMakers ($5, well.ca) and then brushed brows upwards to look “more manly.”

See the Jeremy Laing Spring 2014 »

Damn, girl. Jeremy Laing’s got it going on for Spring 2014, and in more ways than one. The Toronto-based designer ventured into so many fresh territories last night that it took all 42 looks to digest all that superb newness.

First, colour: With one intentionally wonky dye job, Laing re-invented his own personal colour wheel, embracing tone on tone neon jumpsuits, ponchos and Bermuda shorts for spring. Bright pink, blue and a Tiger Tail-inspired orange and black combo were all viable options for the typically neutral-happy designer. Must be the unmistakable nostalgia that’s swallowed us ‘90s kids whole as of late, cause I never thought I’d be associating Jeremy Laing with Donna Martin. Woven in to the colour portion of the collection, was a squeegee-effect multi-hued print created in partnership with painter Julia Dault, which appeared on a flow-y dress, a button down and on short shorts.

The clean, crisp look of Steven Tai’s future sport Spring 2014 collection was consistent with the hair and makeup for the show. Covergirl makeup pro, Amélie Ducharme, aimed to make girls appear “natural but still done”. First, skin was primed using Covergirl Clean Makeup Sensitive Skin ($8, well.ca) and blush was applied wider and lower than it normally would be to make models “look like they were shy,” explained Ducharme. Skin was then given a dewy finish using a rather unconventional skin product: lipgloss. Ducharme applied a pea-sized amount of Covergirl Wetslicks Lip Gloss in “Clear Radiance” ($7, well.ca) to the back of her hand and, using a sponge, dabbed it onto cheekbones and well as a little on the temple, nose, and top of the lip. A light sweep of mascara, and this fresh, spring look was complete.

See the street style shots from Toronto »

On the second day of pre-fashion week aka The Shows, Toronto’s best were out in full force to support last night’s talented twosome, Steven Tai and Jeremy Laing. October’s pleasant temps seem to be allowing for pleasant outfit pairings (read: no bulky layers or cold weather grimaces), which we obviously dig. Style Panel’s Danielle Roche pre-empted Spring 2014’s shine trend in a boxy copper animal print, which was layered, overtop a pleated black leather mini and op art print turtleneck. Caillianne Beckerman, Samantha Beckerman and all star model Liisa Winkler were feeling the current plaid penchant, weaving the old standby within matching designer-clad outfits. Meanwhile team Holt Renfrew had the sophisticated clan colours downpat, with Blaire Borins, Jennifer Daubney, Kimberly Grabel and Moira Wright posing in co-ordinating neutrals. Until next time folks, which by our count is just over a week away.

See the Steven Tai Spring 2014 collection »

What Steven Tai does in his fabric lab is probably above all of our heads, but that’s just as well; the instant attraction to his clothes is easy enough to understand. The London-based and Vancouver-bred designer brought his latest masterpieces to Toronto last night on the second day of The Shows, and if we had a loonie for every gasp in the room, we’d be rich. (Or at least have like, a few hundred bucks lining our wallet.)

On the surface, what Tai showed was an airy touch on this season’s arts-infused sportswear trend. Perforations, painterly prints and ombre effect pastels, check. It’s all part of the Spring 2014 book. But upon closer inspection (and Tai’s explanation), the inner workings reveal themselves as something much cooler. Those perforations? Actually, a grid style laser cut silkscreen that is a self-contained pattern on its own. That painterly print? Actually, a pixelated collage of England’s Eden Project by Spanish artist Lola Dupre that’s been messed with on a home printer and adhered to embroidery. Even his accessories have a geeky backstory, with helmet style baseball hats molded to reflect Eden’s dome structures.

See the party pictures »

On Wednesday night, Ossington Avenue boutique Jonathan + Olivia kicked of Toronto Fashion Week in high style with a party celebrating homegrown designers Jeremy Laing, Calla and Horses Atelier. Swapping digs for the night, the must-have den brought it’s cool kid friends to the revamped Storys Building, which now boasts a swanky bar set up. Fresh off The Shows, guests including stylists Cary Tauben, Corey Ng and crop cut queen Chanel Croker tripled the double C effect, while Bad Day Magazine editor Eva Michon and Jeremy Laing communications director Frank Griggs lent their tunes to the night in the DJ booth. Many guests wore black, because obviously.

Behind the scenes at last night’s Calla Spring 2014 fashion show in Toronto, tables were littered with brightly hued strands of fabric (which were later weaved into models’ hair), as Cover Girl makeup pro Amélie Ducharme and Pantene Pro-V consulting stylist Justin German created a youthful, fun look to match the collection’s easy breezy California vibe. Taupe eyeshadow was applied lightly into the crease and along the bottom of the lashes, just enough to frame the eye and give it shape and depth, explained Ducharme, who used Covergirl Eye Enhancers 3-Kit Shadow in “Café au Lait” ($7, well.ca). The inner corners of eyes were highlighted with Covergirl Flamed Out Shadow Pencil in “Ginger Flame” ($8, well.ca). Velvety skin was achieved using Covergirl Clean Whipped Creme Foundation ($9, well.ca) and cheeks were pink with a hint of shimmer. Brows were filled in slightly darker than their natural colour and brushed upward to convey a young, wild and fresh look.

See the street style from Toronto Fashion Week »

As the Spring 2014 season makes its way to Toronto, our homegrown street stylers have some statements of their own to be making. They arrived for the first day of The Shows last night; and as they prepped for viewings of Calla and Bellavance’s wares, photographer Stefania Yarhi flipped the focus to wares of their own.

Those outside the shows included Hipster Musings blogger Isabel Slone, who showed her penchant for fall’s pink trend with pops of the girlish hue on a button down shirt and artfully placed candy pins on her jacket lapel. She finished her look with whimsical striped socks and sturdy leather loafers.

Last night at The Shows in Toronto, the backstage was bustling as Covergirl makeup pro Amélie Ducharme and Pantene Pro-V consulting stylist Justin German created a look for Bellavance’s Spring 2014 collection described by Ducharme as sport meets city. Dewy skin was achieved using Covergirl Clean Liquid Makeup Sensitive Skin ($8, well.ca), while apples of the cheeks were given a sporty flush using Covergirl Cheekers Bronzer in “Copper Radiance” ($7, well.ca). Eyes were swept with shimmery orange and white shadows along both the upper and lower lash lines. Covergirl Smoky ShadowBlast in “Citrus Flair” ($9, at drugstores) was used on the outer half while Covergirl Flamed Out Shadow Pot in “Blazing White” ($5, well.ca) lit up the inner half of the eye. This contrast in colour, as well as the bare bottom lashes, were intended to make eyes appear large and round, explained Ducharme. The final step was a neutral, soft pink lip created with a light coat of Covergirl Lipslicks Smoochies Lip Balm in “Be Sweet” ($6, well.ca).

See the Bellavance Spring 2014 collection »

Since its launch fresh out of Parsons less than two years ago, Bellavance has been doing the fashion version of kicking ass and taking names. The New York-based label with an all-important Can Con connection (co-designer Nolan Bellavance grew up on a farm near Red Deer, Alberta) won MADE’s first young designer award in 2012, which amped the duo with support of Parsons alum like Antonio Berardi and Roopal Patel. Currently, Bellavance is stocked at cool kid haven Opening Ceremony, which is a feat in and of itself.

For their sophomore collection, Bellavance and co-designer Ava Hama went classic sportswear, naming Claire McCardell, founder of the all American look, as their muse. It was all about elevated simplicity, from the humble cotton dobby used on a peach and cornflower blue day dress to the classic robe, elevated for night with the use of ribbed silk and black trimming. The understated pieces benefited from last night’s intimate presentation, which capped off with a fabrication drilldown by Dr. Alexandra Palmer of the ROM. So too, did the duo’s mention of stripes, a repeated motif in the collection also rooted in sportswear history and perfect for another spin come Spring 2014.

See the Calla Spring 2014 collection »

Sun, sand and ‘90s surfer babes were the retro cool inspiration for the Calla Spring 2014 collection at day one of The Shows in Toronto. Models in beach-friendly digs, from neon coral frocks with chunky scuba zippers to Body Glove-esque swimsuits with sexy scooped backs, walked down the runway to the cheerful, appropriately laid back Beach Boys tunes. Crop tops, skater dresses and wild-style baseball caps added a whiff of Venice Beach skateboard culture to the Californian surf aesthetic. Our favourite looks saw slouchy pullovers paired with feminine skirts, either short and sweet or full with couture-like cuts.

As always with designer Calla Haynes‘ collections, prints and fabrics were highlights. Alcantara—an ultra luxe, ultra thin Italian fabric—appeared on a flirty frock, slouchy board shorts and an oversized moto-inspired jacket. Customized with a watery Japanese calligraphy print and crinkled to create a casual well-worn effect, Haynes called the print “Shonan” after the famous Japanese surf town. Meanwhile, we saw paper tweeds (created by Malhia Kent, the French mill that produces haute couture tweeds for Chanel) in a structured boho poncho that calls to mind the beach bum style of Australian surf brand Kuta Lines, and in a crop top and high-waisted skirt combo worthy of Cher Horowitz. Long live ‘90s nostalgia!

New York, London, Milan and Paris may host countless (and mind-blowing!) shows during September, but with October quickly approaching our minds are already prepping for Toronto Fashion Week. When it comes to saving the best for last, our city is wrapping up the Spring 2014 season with stellar home-grown talent.

The packed Toronto schedule includes both The ShOws and World MasterCard Fashion Week, both of which are sure to show spring collections that will have us wishing we could just sleep through winter. Need more intel? Read on—we’ll be updating this guide to Toronto Fashion Week Spring 2014 as the details roll in.

Jump to: World MasterCard Fashion Week | The ShOws