Vawk Fall 2014: Fashion for all! As long as it’s black, sheer and sequined all over

by Jessica Flower March 18, 2014

See the Vawk Fall 2014 collection »

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.

One of the few designers to use models of all shapes and sizes to model his collections, Fong ventured into new a demographic this time around, featuring a model with an amputee leg. Sporting a specially designed prosthetic cover in collaboration with Alleles, the model elicited several rounds of well deserved applause. Fashion for all, we say!

Fong really hit his stride when moving beyond the perhaps over-played slashes of sheer fabric done by many a designer. What, at first glance, seemed like one long dress with a sheer panel in the skirt was in fact a sequinned mini dress with a separate sheer overlay, masterfully done in a light and airy silhouette. The finale dress had a similar sheer overlay, done this time in a pseudo-cape, with the sequinned panels on the dress underneath peeking through the gossamer fabric giving movement and depth. If this is where the sheer trend is headed next, sign us up.