TORONTO — Whether taking a stretch on the sand, breaking a sweat on the trail or seeking respite on holiday, Day 2 of spring-summer 2012 collections at Toronto's LG Fashion Week offered plenty of options to send fashion fans to their destination of choice in style.
Attitude Jay Manuel: Clad in fedoras, headscarves and oversized glasses, models walking the runway for Attitude Jay Manuel were the picture of globetrotting cool in the spring-summer line from the Sears private label collection.
It was the second collection with creative director Jay Manuel of "America's Next Top Model" fame at the helm. And the new line delivered a taste of urban safari-inspired chic for the jet-setting fashionista, along with several garments that could easily be incorporated into everyday wear closer to home.
Black loomed large in the collection, but there was ample colour in he mix with bold magenta, blue and red hues alongside more muted neutrals like olive greens and beiges.
Loose-fitting shirtdresses, off-shoulder knit sweaters, slinky maxi skirts and sleek jumpsuits conjured laid-back luxe. A medley of prints from snakeskin to swirls, colour blocks and chunky vertical stripes adorned breezy henley blouses, slinky sheaths and tanks.
But there were plenty of basics for traditionalists, including trench coats boasting looser silhouettes, tailored tapered pants and bootleg denim.
The lone hiccup in the show was when Yasmin Warsame took a tumble amid cloudy gusts of dry ice on the slick, patterned runway. But the supermodel manage to recover with the assistance of a front-row stylewatcher and the cheers of the supportive crowd.
Chloe comme Parris: With a paint-splattered runway and brightly-hued paintings affixed to stark white walls, the Studio environment took on the semblance of gallery for stylewatchers soaking in the latest looks from Chloe comme Parris.
Chloe and Parris Gordon brought their own taste artistry to the makeshift canvas catwalk with the latest looks from their fashion and jewelry brand steeped in a colour palette of navy, cream, olive and yellow.
The sisters unveiled a sleek succession of monochromatic knits and richly-printed separates adorned with their brassy customized buttons, buckles, findings and zipper ends.
The line was a study in contrasts, with tailored suit jackets and fitted pants and slim-fitting jersey-style dresses alongside garments boasting more fluid silhouettes, like sheer panelled shirtdresses, asymmetrical wrap-front tunics and with draped-back detailing on tanks and shirting.
Mercedes Benz Start Up: Montreal-based design duo Martin Lim took home the top prize at the Mercedes-Benz Start Up program for up-and-coming Canadian designers.
Designers Danielle Martin and Pao Lim were among five finalists in the inaugural contest aimed at offering support and mentorship to emerging homegrown talents.
The pair founded their label last year, and gained experience in the industry working with renowned designers like Christian Lacroix and Roland Mouret. In a short video screened the duo revealed they were inspired by a trip to Europe prior to the unveiling of looks from their spring-summer 2012 line.
Martin Lim's succession of fluid and feminine colour-blocked creations clearly curried favour with the judging panel, which included Canadian supermodel Jessica Stam, Fashion Magazine editor-in-chief Bernadette Morra and Bustle Clothing co-founder and creative director Shawn Hewson.
Stam announced the winners following the runway showcase which featured fellow Montreal-based finalists Travis Taddeo and UNTTLD, and Vancouver-based Cassie Dee and Triarchy.
The final five were selected from a nationwide search and received mentoring as they readied their collections for the runway.
In addition to mentoring from industry experts, Martin Lim will also receive an editorial feature in Fashion Magazine and their own fully-produced runway show during fall-winter collections at Fashion Week next March.
Lim said he and Martin were "honoured and quite surprised" in being crowned winners and sees it as a valuable opportunity for their fledgling label.
"As a small company, we really need help in order to go to the next level."
Launched in June, the program is aimed at providing a national platform to discover and offer assistance to up-and-coming designers who have been in business for less than five years.
Twenty designers were selected from a pool of submissions to move on to the semi-final round of competition. In its inaugural year, the semi-finals took place in Montreal and Vancouver. JoAnne Caza from Mercedes-Benz Canada announced Tuesday that the program will expand to semis in four new cities: Halifax, Quebec City, Ottawa and Edmonton.
Ryerson University school of fashion chair and panel judge Robert Ott said the Canadian fashion industry poses unique challenges.
"It's really tough to be recognized, first of all, and sometimes it appears that Canadian designers have to go abroad to get other countries to recognize them and then they may return home and then we'll give them due recognition," he said backstage prior to the show. "But the other thing is there's very little funding, it's difficult to get a designer with business together so it can actually realize their dreams and start manufacturing collections and selling it to retailers."
All finalists will continue to receive support, he said.
"I think it's not a question of who ends up first: it's a question of who actually has longevity in making their passion come true — and it could be any one of them."
Tosca Delfino: When it came to tapping into inspiration for her latest swimwear looks, the desisgner brought a decidedly more personal touch to her creations with a line inspired by friends and photos captured in her own travels.
Add in a dose of sun-kissed island luxury with a sprinkling of the city and the designer delivered a concoction of colourful creations fit for the sand and surf — or a maybe a stylish lounge poolside.
Save for a few "Baywatch" — style tank suits, Delfino's new designs for spring-summer 2012 were not for the modest, with plenty of string bikini and bandeau tops and halter-style suits with plunging necklines. The collection was largely steeped in more muted earthy hues with vibrant pops of aqua, yellow and coral.
Rather than tried-and-true patterns that have become de rigueur in swimwear, such as polka dots and stripes, Delfino was more inventive with miniature dolphins, stars and a succession of colourful, kaleidoscopic patterns varying in shape and scope on everything from high-waisted briefs to kimono-sleeved rompers. There were also playful touches like fringe and ruffled folds on suit bottoms.
The nighttime Toronto skyline got the beach treatment printed on a tank-style suit and matching cover-up skirt with a high slit.
Joeffer Caoc: The womenswear designer brought his penchant for glam to the playing field with an athletic-inspired range of designs.
Past collections from Caoc have largely focused on his sleek evening looks befitting a night on the town. Yet he opted to embrace a decidedly more casual esthetic in his spring-summer 2012 line.
Stylish sportswear-tinged touches were present in the creations, which incorporated bright orange and fuchsia alongside powdery pastels on a base of creamy white and neutral hues.
Racerback-style dresses, fluid tanks, track shorts, jersey pants and hoodies featured subtle embellishments like miniaturized mesh panelling or more pronounced racing stripes along pant legs and contrast-coloured trims encircling collars. But the glam was in full force with slightly bolder offerings giving metallics time to shine.
Some eye-popping looks weren't suitable for those who wish to recede in the background: black athletic mesh pants and jackets affixed atop shimmering gold lining, slick silver briefs and an iridescent silver romper.
For the slightly less adventurous, there were plenty of classic offerings to close out the show, including tailored jackets in tweed and seersucker, layered silk tulle tops and chic slim-fitting sequinned dresses.
Day 2 also featured collections from Amanda Lew Kee, Michi, Laura Siegel and LOVAS.
Fashion Week continues until Friday.
