Toronto: Ula Zukowska, Travis Taddeo, Zoran Dobric Fall 2009
“If Prada does it, why can’t I?”
This is dangerous thinking in the minds of less iconic designers, no matter how experienced. Ula Zukowska, a veteran of the Toronto fashion scene, showed among her Fall 2009 collection a series of crinkled garments in rusted colours and stiffly sprung shapes that immediately recalled Miuccia Prada’s much-debated Spring show. (Google if you doubt the claim.)
Often tied with large bows, they were like paper bags for decidedly un-princessy types. Interesting? Mildly. Toronto designers love this sort of organic futurism (see Zoran Dobric, next after next, for more perennial proof) but we’re not convinced Toronto customers share the enthusiasm. Perhaps Zukowska should stick to the dark side: her black-on-charcoal panelled pieces copped a cooler, more minimal feel, while retaining that cut-and-paste craftsmanship. These were layered with leather leg encasements or fur arm warmers–a major 2009 trend that was first propagated in pre-Fall shows by many a major designer, including (no duh) Prada.
Showing for the first time in TO, between local long-timers Zukowska and Dobric, 28-year-old Travis Taddeo would be hard-pressed to look anything but fresh. Luckily, his styles deserve attention: bold, easy pieces in perforated leather and jersey that look made for athletic, off-duty models. Mesh inserts gave leggings a kneepad look, while pockets stood out from skirts to make them *very* hip indeed. The black, white and electro blue palette–combined with strikingly lean and/or blocky shapes–was reminiscent of work by super-rad Portuguese designer Felipe Oliveira Baptista (OK, this one you really have to Google).
Taddeo also made cool sport of small game hunting, showing animal furs chained and slung over cold shoulders. Statement pieces, to be sure—though they looked a little too, shall we say, ”freshly trapped” for some front-rowers.
Taddeo’s become something of a big shot in his MTL scenester’s scene and now looks poised to earn plenty of Anglo love too. Golden boy, or just hot yellow, like the coordinated hoodie and sunnies he strutted out in after the show? Time will tell. We’ll be watching.
Toronto’s Serbian-born prince of prints has a cult credibility based almost solely on his artisanal silk-screens. No matter what the season, Zoran Dobric‘s dominant motif will be painstakingly hand-painted and applied to pin-tucked dresses and separates. Why should this collection be the exception?
For Fall 2009, the patterns at play came from geometry and cubism–or, as per the designer’s notes, ”landscape paintings by Gustav Klimt” combined with electronic and futuristic influences. And where Dobric once played with watercolours, he’s now restricted himself to black, grey and shades of violet with metallic accents. (Techy, silver-sprayed necklaces came courtesy of accessories designer Mirjana Scepanovic.) The result was moody and modern.
Prevailing shapes were cowl necks, tunic sleeves and A-lines, but Dobric’s shapes have always been far secondary to those prints. The big difference this season was in the skirts. Once trickily asymmetrical and oddly bunched, they’re now cleaner-lined, sometimes shorter and often trussed up with zipper slits. We like this straighter but sexier direction–allons-y!
ZORAN DOBRIC | SEE ALL FALL 2009
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