FASHION WEEK!

It’s FASHION WEEK – which means I can wear my most ridiculous get-ups and be extra dramatic..no complaints here!

This past Friday morning, after a night of drinking tequila at the new tequila bar on Ossington, Reposado, I bolted out of bed to meet my Fashion week correspondent, Brooklyn Brownstone – and no that is not an imaginary friend of mine but a real girl.

Fresh faced country girl.

Apples and fall, my name is Jane – I live next door.

I am an American Apparel girl dying on my bed.

Almost dying.

I’ve got every fun accessory you could ever want. I like to pretend I’m still 6! Yippee!

Don’t talk to me, I’m an angry army tom boy.

Lolita….so uncomfortable….so wrong.

GLAMOUR

POOF – can you handle my COUTURE!

This is by far my favourite pose.

After about six laps around Liberty Village trying to track down which space the FDCC was in (Fashion Design Council of Canada) I gave up and ended up wandering in to the back storage room of a flower shop. I’m usually quite good at navigation, but that area is a maze of unmarked territory.

“Excuse me, do you know where the Fashion Design Council is??” I spouted quite out of breath and drizzling coffee down my shirt.

The back room floral accountant chastising responded, ““Oh sweetie, all you girls are walking into the wrong space, let me show you where to go.”

This comment was echoed by a sassy gay floral arranger who looked up from his bouquet, with rolled eyes and sighed:

“Must be fashion week.”

Although aiming to make me feel like a total ditz lost in the woods – or in this case a west end flower shop – I took the smart ass remarks as quite the compliment. Being a decade older than any fresh faced model, I’ll happily play the part of eighteen year old airhead for their amusement.

Finally I entered the office of fashion week’s grand central station.

For those who don’t know the Fashion Design Council of Canada produces Loreal Fashion Week. The FDCC basically creates the infrastructure for which Canadian design can flourish – by connecting designers, to boutiques, to models, to publicists to media to you!

It was sheer chaos, everything was an urgent emergency. This is sort of what I remember being shouted and twirled around the office, not precisely – but pretty much:

“Please please please don’t drag that couture gown!!!!”

“Line 3, LINE 3– it’s Amy Capabianca from PARIS ! SOMEBODY TAKE THIS CALL!!!”

“Honey, I need a latte pronto”

“OMG, OMG, OMG, OMG!!”

I quickly concluded that the Fashion world is more nuts than the film world.

Not a minute to spare, I got down to business with my fashion week ‘inn’ – Brooklyn Brownstone:

I asked her, quite naively, to discuss some fashion success stories in Canada from past years.

Easy. Currently being showcased as THE GROUP OF SEVEN, these are designers you should know.

IZZY CAMILLERI

http://izzycamilleri.com/

PINK TARTAN

http://www.pinktartan.com/

DAVID DIXON

http://www.fashionincubator.com/

JOEFFER CAOC

http://www.joeffercaoc.com/

ANDY THEANH

http://www.andytheanh.com/

COMRAGS

http://www.comrags.com/

ARTHUR MENDONCA

http://www.mendonca.ca/

So who are the up and coming designers to take note of this year?

Brooklyn’s Top Three Must See Shows:

ZORAN DOBRIC – Tuesday, Oct 23, 5PM – http://dobric.tripod.com/

NADA – Tuesday, Oct 23, 7PM

BUSTLE – Tuesday, Oct 23, 8PM – http://www.bustleclothing.com/

What should we expect for the Spring Collections of 2008?

Expect eclectic design and individuality across the board but if there is a theme, think BRIGHT colours, throwback to the 1940’s but with the use of 1980’s textile. GOT IT??!!

Brooklyn then turned to me and asked a daunting question:

“What Canadian designers inspire you? Or what fashion do you love?”

Shit. I just kinda walk around and look in windows and browse through NYLON magazine. This question intimidated me, as I’d have to say I’m quite a newbie to the Toronto Fashion World – but I did reveal my fashion faves, here they are from local to international – classic to vintage:

TORONTO ORIGNAL DESIGN BOUTIQUES

Model Citizen – 913 Dundas West

Carte Blanche – 758 Queen West

Common Cloth – 1233 Queen West

VINTAGE INSPIRATIONS:

I MISS YOU – 63 Ossington

Vintage 69 – 1100 Queen West

CLASSIC GLAMOUR:

Chanel – http://www.chanel.com/

UNLIMITED BUDGET – OFFICE ATTIRE:

Diane Von Furstenberg – http://www.dvf.com/dvf/

ROCK OUT DREAM WORLD:

Miu Miu – http://www.miumiu.com/

Stella McCartney – http://www.stellamccartney.com/

EVERY DAY PLAY CLOTHES:

American Apparel – americanapparel.net

H&M – www.hm.com

Obviously, most of what I learn regarding HIGH FASHION and STRIKING A POSE comes from America’s Next Top Model, and Canada’s Next Top Model. Naturally all this fashion talk led me to a frantic photo shoot around the house this morning. I have tried to apply my learnings from Tyra and Jay as best I can