FAT – Fashion Art Week in Toronto

A giant warehouse, an oversized lumberjack style plaid shirt, top-notch street style and great music could only be all at FAT Fashion Week. Well, that is what I have been led to believe since moving to Toronto. You see I’ve never had an opportunity to attend FAT being from the east coast, but so many people love this ‘alternative fashion week’. I was wholeheartedly not disappointed. I had the opportunity to attend the Thursday night events on April 25th and watch six runway shows out of nine.

What FAT really specialized in was bringing the art scene back into fashion. Of course that seems obvious by the name, but if you’ve ever attended other fashion events you would quickly learn that it is not the case. I had to notice that fashion and art here was really at its core. There wasn’t a ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ feeling of pretention and ‘that’s so last season’ that you may expect. Instead, it was a venue for people who love fashion as an art form and use it as an expression as ones self, not as a status symbol. It was everything fashion should be and it was beautiful.

The patrons at FAT for the most part did not wear high-end big brands, but really rocked the more rare pieces from smaller designers. I’m used to opening conversation with somebody during Fashion Week by commenting on a person’s newest big designer item, but at FAT, you would have instead asked where they purchased the item as so many people were wearing indie. Because of so many unique brands and styles being put together, FAT has amazing street style. Even between fashion shows, you were treated to unique pieces, wearable art and many beautiful combinations. When attending a previous fashion event earlier this year, I noticed that while yes, everybody had beautiful style and a chic way to wear items the event was lacking on the street style front. Where was the fashion and beauty that inspired street style blogs and popular photographers like The Sartorialist? Where are those people who love to mix high-end fashion from decades past with local favourites? If you don’t know Scott Schuman of The Sartorialist, you should check it out here. You won’t regret it. It was of course the shows themselves that displayed the most creativity, but the patrons attending were a close second. FAT bar-none had the best street style.

The runway shows were also a great mix of art and fashion. The first three shows of the evening had an edgy rocker and sometimes-gothic theme. Many of the pieces were wearable, but of the first three shows they each sported something that was un-wearable and simply for art. The next set of three shows featured more wearable pieces that focused more on beautiful tailoring. These shows made you anticipate what you would like add to your wardrobe more than shock value. Below is one of the better shots I had taken, evidently with my favourite piece of the night from the emerging independent fashion designer B.E. Shields.

For better quality images, have a look at the FAT blog on their official website and you’ll get an idea of the creativity that takes over the runway.

Guest Blogger: Bhreigh Gillis, Intern Community Manager at Luevo, Fashionista and sailor enthusiast.
Twitter @Bhreigh
Personal blog