Shine OnToronto Fashion Week: Five Canadian designers you need to know
Oct. 20 marks the start of another World MasterCard Fashion Week, and we’re pretty excited to see what our favourite Canadian designers have in store for the spring/summer 2015 season. And yes, we realize how absurd it is to be discussing summer fashion when we haven’t even broken out our parkas. But to be fair, fashion has always been the unruly sister, not always logical or practical.
For the up-and-coming designers, their inaugural show at WMFW will mark a huge milestone in their design careers. We’re going to have our eyes glued to both established and fledging designers that show enormous promise.
We invite you to do the same with these five Canadian designers who have managed to steal a piece of our sartorial hearts.
You may have heard his name floating around if you’re entrenched in Canada’s fashion industry. He’s not a household name yet, but designer Som Kong has made a notable contribution to the Canadian fashion landscape in a short amount of time. Manipulated materials, intricate details and silhouettes that make a definitive statement characterize his eye-catching designs.
Maybe I just relate to Canadian-born designer, Hayley Elsaesser’s self professed cat lady status. Or maybe she’s just brilliant and an up-and-comer worth noting. Elsaesser’s designs are, to say the least, quirky, vibrant, colourful and print-happy. We can guarantee an eyeful if you plan to attend this young designer’s show. This is Elsasser’s first show at WMCFW and we’re anticipating some of her signature whimsical designs.
Joe Mimran (Joe Fresh)’s better half, Kimberley Newport Mimran is the creative force behind Pink Tartan. The brand has garnered international attention and we’re not the least bit surprised to see how high it has risen. Newport’s designs are classic without falling into the trap of becoming boring, well tailored and extremely wearable. Pink Tartan is always one of the most highly anticipated shows during Fashion Week and we always look forward to seeing what the talented designer’s theme will be.
If there’s one designer who can really say he’s made it big, it’s Mikael Derderian a.k.a Mikael D. You may remember his label, formerly known as Pavoni. Mikael D’s intricate gowns are breathtaking, celebrating the female form in the best way possible. Derderian’s gowns will transport you to a pretty edgy fairytale, featuring hand worked details on his extravagant creations. If you’re ever in the market for an Oscar-worthy gown, you know who to call.
It feels like Mackage has been around since I discovered tear away pants weren’t cool — and trust me when I say that was a long time ago. However, the brand, created by friends, Eran Elfassy and Elisa Dehan has only been kicking around since 2009. In the grand scheme of things, that’s not long for a brand that has managed to establish itself in Canadian fashion the way Mackage has. Their collections always strike a fine balance between classic and edgy with priority placed on great tailoring and attention to detail.
