Lucian Matis S/S10

In case anyone was wondering, Toronto Fashion Week came and went. Yes, how very Canadian to be so mum. But as we emerged from our igloos to gather in city’s West End, amidst the dreary drab, the country’s newest and brightest designers emerged.

Rita Liefhebber showcased in the back room of a charcuterie restaurant. Not unlike the cured, salted and rubbed meats present, the designer’s twenty pieces had seen their own massaging. There were boyfriend jackets, jumpsuits, gold lamé pleats and jersey dresses to take you from night to day. Every look related to the others, forming a complementary monochromatic palette of muted pastels, greys with buttery undertones and sporadic pops of intensity. Describing the collection, the ex-model-cum-fashion-editor quipped, “I always think: What would I wear?” before revealing that she shops at Value Village between couture and got inspired spray painting vintage boots.

Exemplifying the one-degree of separation that defines Toronto, Mikhael Kale, who did a collection with Liefhebber a few years back, was also showing. Having honed his skills at Central Saint Martins and in Milan, Kale seasonally debuts his party dresses in New York. Enough for the likes of Rhianna and Madonna, they make you want to shimmy, shake and dance the night away.

Heidi Ackerman—renowned among insiders for her avant-garde designers—presented oversized epaulets, piano-print knits and thigh-high waders. Made from sustainable cork, Ackerman explained the waders, saying, “I saw [cork] used at a design show, and I had to play around with it.”

Finally, there was Lucian Matis, runner-up from the first season of Project Runway Canada. Known for his over-the-top ethereal romance, this season Matis presented silk-screened sad clowns paired with bedazzled ribbon headgear. While they were somewhat reminiscent of a third grader’s nightmare, the horror stopped there. For spring, the designer scaled down over-the-top embellishment and showed subtle warm pastels, paillette-adorned silk and chains that conjured lost treasures.

Click “Read More” for additional images.

Rita Liefhebber S/S10

Heidi Ackerman

Lucian Matis S/S10