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Toronto Fashion Events

April 9, 2015/in Fashion Events /by Ana Cara

Toronto is one of the fastest growing cities in North America, and has gained a reputation for being one of the most liveable cities in the world. Aside from the high real estate prices, Torontonians enjoy their city’s arts & cultural scene, including an emerging fashion movement.

Toronto has an official “fashion week” twice a year, sponsored by World MasterCard and it is part of the IMG conglomerate, but more importantly the city holds events throughout the year supported by different local organizations, that in return support local talent. I couldn’t find an official fashion calendar for Toronto, so I put together what I thought were the important upcoming fashion events this Spring/Summer, and if you know of any others, let us know!

Fashion Art Toronto is an annual event that each year focuses on a different theme and celebrates the expression of art through fashion, photography, fashion film and art installations. This year the 5 day event is once again held at Daniels Spectrum (585 Dundas St East) and $40 gets you a full day of events.

This year, from April 21st to 25th, 100 artists will explore the #MADEINCANADA theme in one of the 5 sub-themes, with a different theme being presented each night: Great Wild, Cold North, Group of Seven, Northern Lights and Global Village.

Keeping in line of the made in Canada theme, Inland takes place May 2nd to May 3rd at the hip 99 Sudbury location in Liberty Village. The 2 day event takes place twice a year and it is basically a pop-up event for Canadian emerging fashion talent. The location offers a very fun, relaxed shopping experience, and with 80 designers showcasing from clothes to jewellery and shoes, there is something for everyone!

Inland is the perfect platform for local designers. It is much more affordable and inclusive than a traditional fashion week and it allows for a personal interaction between designers, consumers and retail buyers. Tickets are sold at the door for $5, see you there!

In Toronto there are also many fashion design schools, one of them is part of George Brown College where I have the honour to teach Social Media for Fashion Marketing. This end of year’s fashion show is held at the schools’ waterfront campus (can’t wait to see it – wonderful architecture!) on April 21st. I’ll probably meet a lot of my previous students and I look forward seeing our local aspiring fashion talent showcase. Tickets are free and you can get them on Eventbrite.

If you are in the mood for an elegant evening spent with everyone’s who’s someone in the Toronto Fashion industry, then you must attend this year’s #FajoSocial Spring event held in the heart of the city on May 12th. There will be local vendors, music, cocktails, crazy outfits, swag bags, an auction and so much more!

The list couldn’t have been complete without the New Labels Show organized by the Toronto Fashion Incubator. While the general admission tickets are all sold out, if you have deep pockets you can indulge in the VIP experience with a premier ticket for $175. Year after year, this Spring event has showcased some of the country’s best talent, and on May 4th you are invited at the prestigious One King West location for cocktails and fashion.

Finally, I’d love to mention an event that we are supporting, the MSH District‘s first hackathon. The MSH District is a space dedicated to the development and launch of new ideas and products made of fabric. The hackathon is a three day event from April 16th to the 19th and I look forward mentoring the next generation of fashion entrepreneurs through this much needed new venture.

This article was written by our co-founder Ana Caracaleanu.

City Style Profile: Toronto

January 12, 2015/in City Style /by Luevo Team

I couldn’t help but notice the unique styles of individual Torontonians, in the downtown area especially. Toronto is known for its fluctuating weather so of course it becomes a challenge to look good and stay warm at the same time. Often, there are many people wearing the same basic apparel simply because they’ve given up on Toronto style but here, I hope to highlight some of the ones doing it right.

Of course, we all have to dress according to the weather but today I bring you three Toronto-based fashion bloggers with great style tips for remaining fashionable in this great but unpredictable city I call home.

Suburban Faux-Pas

We love Krystin Lee’s way of surviving the Toronto weather, “In the winter months, you’ll find a fashion emergency kit in my car which contains Hunter boots for the snow, an embellished toque, gloves and tinted chopstick for the cold!” She recommends a Mackage winter jacket to stay chic and cozy this winter and admires the unique culture of the city, in all aspects.

“With cooler temps dominating most of our year, you’re forced to layer in ways you never thought possible to stay warm but also make your own personal statement.”

@Krystin_Lee

Sasha’s Satisfashion

Sasha Xiao is always looking for new ways to stay warm and fashionable so she recommends a nice pair of over-the-knee boots since they can be incorporated into many different outfits. She understands Torontonians’ reliance on comfy and conservative clothing but she favors layering and has fun with it because it frees you to take something on or off accordingly.

“The fashion industry [in Toronto] is not crowded just yet, so we still have a chance to build something amazing here.”

@Sa_Satisfashion

Textstyles

Stefania Yarhi says we’ve made some progress in terms of fashion sense. “I mean the downtown kids really bring it and there are so many talented people with amazing creative eyes and style.” She has many favourite designs to shop like Ewanika and Pink Tartan but wants to remind us that Toronto is home to many amazing vintage stores like Life of Manek and The Cat’s Meow , as well.

“Embrace the changes! Canadians are so adept at layering, in a day it’s not uncommon to have several different types of weather and you just learn to roll with it.”

@Textstyles

Do you have any tips for wearing fashionable outfits in Toronto? Let us know at @LuevoFashion!

This article was written by our co-op student extraordinaire, Samantha Chung Sang.

World MasterCard Fashion Week Runway Trends

March 19, 2014/in Fashion Events /by Ana Cara

We’re three days into Toronto Fashion Week and we’ve seen 12 amazing collections, including VAWK, LINE Knitwear, Sid Neigum and Mikhael Kale who kicked off the week in true style. The busy streets of Toronto have been full of stylish fashion lovers and they’ve all come together to admire the beautiful designs of some of Canada’s greatest talent. World MasterCard Fashion Week runway trends that we’re seeing are a lot of oversized pieces, exquisite details, lower hemlines, punk rock looks, and lots of black.

VAWK designer, Sunny Fong, incorporated dark hues, like black, leather and sheer fabrics also. A few of the looks were high-low which had the trains floating behind the model as they walked down the runway. The details in the garments, like the understated statement collar, inverted triangle patterns and fur panels, created visual interest for plain silhouettes.

With winter showing no signs of letting up, even though it’s (almost) spring, Line Knitwear would be the perfect collection for Torontonians to be wearing to keep warm. The LINE Knitwear collection is for the stylish modern woman. It features head-to-toe looks that are feminine and plays with different textures. Even though the typical fall colours are dark, the designers threw in some pink and blue hues to brighten the looks.

Sid Neigum’s runway show featured a string performance and designs that were captivating. The collection was full of bold, metallics and architecturally detailed dresses, coats, and capes in an autumnal palette. It was all about transforming two dimensional into three and this was done with lazer cutting and mathematical pattern design.

Mikhael Kale treated the audience to a whirlwind of colour and ruffles in the form of an edgy and feminine collection. Lavish patterns, luxurious layers, studded trenches and fantastic bomber jackets came down the runway. Leather jackets are definitely a must for next Fall.

Written by Tianna Alexandre, yourstyleforecast.com Editor. Be sure to follow her on Twitter.