Styling at the ShOws F/W2013 - the fashionable front row

Last week, while attending day 2 of the ShOws, I was street style snapped by photographers from a couple style mags, papers, and blogs. Here are some photos of my outfit courtesy of Toronto Life and The Style Spy.

Black fedora, vintage rope chocker, stripe blazer from Zara, white crop top from American Apparel,
black high waisted  patent leather croc-skin pencil skirt
Photo: The Style Spy

Apparently white and black stripes are a thing.
Photo: Toronto Life

Photo: Toronto Life

Day 2 of The ShOws F/W 2013 - Tanya Taylor, Steven Tai, and Jeremy Laing

It's official! Toronto Fashion Week is back for another F/W season, which means I will be a busy bee all over again. This time though, I'm affiliated with a major newspaper! No more rushing around to make sure I get a good seat by the front row. I AM THE FRONT ROW. I can now casually walk in late and straight to my lovely reserved National Post seat next to whatever major blogger/editor-in-chief/Canadian celebrity. Have I mention that my life is pretty good right now?

This week TFW jumpstarted with The ShOws, the two-day runway event that hosts Canadian-born international designers/design houses like Comrags, Jean-Pierre Braganza, Tanya Taylor, Steven Tai, and Jeremy Laing. I was sent to cover Day 2 of the ShOws (the better of the two-days in my opinion--- Jeremy Laing is so effing cool) for the National Post.

Once I got to the event space at the Andrew Richard Designs studio, I was greeted with a goody bag of complimentary makeup, hair products and candies; all the Vitamin Water I could drink; and an array of cute mini snacks on sticks. Oh and obviously, since we're so bloody Canadian, there were Timbits and Timmy's coffee for all to enjoy.

Obviously I take photos of the food...

After stuffing my face with freebies (as usual) I made my way to the runway room, took my seat  and watched the Tanya Taylor show. While the models marched down the runway in the designer's 1960s schoolgirl-inspired garments, I was fumbling around with my notebook, pen and Iphone. You'd think after three years of doing runway reviews, I would have figured out how to do this with some kind of grace... Nope. As the last model made her way backstage, I had finally gotten myself together. I managed to get some good photos of the line while scribbling in my notebook at the same time.

The next show was that of the young Steven Tai. The self-proclaimed nerd took his line to a crazy level- mixing 60s sportswear with present-day technology. Really great stuff!

And to close off the day was the always amazing Jeremy Laing! If you wanna give my review a read click here!

In between the shows I was running in and out of backstage. Here are a few shots from behind-the-scenes. I also interview the lead hair and makeup stylist about the looks for each of the shows. If I'm not crazy busy in the next few days I'll make sure to get some sort of beauty post up because honestly, those guys have some great hair and makeup tips. 

Model being prepped for Steven Tai show

Backstage makeup madness

Makeup and hair for Tanya Taylor 

Makeup for Jeremy Laing 

Makeup for Jeremy Laing

Backstage at The Collections - pre-Fashion Week S/S2013

This season Toronto's Fashion Week went a little mental. With all the commotion about IMG Fashion Worldwide buying TFW, several designers and people of the Toronto fashion industry got a little freaked and decided to do their own thing as to not get all corrupted by the big business man.

IMG owns and runs 10 of the biggest Fashion Weeks in the world, the most important being New York Fashion Week. According to an article in The Toronto Star, the vice-president of IMG, Peter Levy, says the company bought TFW so they can transform it into a huge fashion event recognized world wide. That would be pretty cool I guess...I'd have an 'in' already! hahaha. 

Anyway, the point of all this is: last year's TFW headliners bailed on World MasterCard Fashion Week and signed up for what the industry is now calling the "Rogue Shows" aka The Collections and The ShOws. Both runway events were two-days long, running from Oct.16 - 17, and were 100% cooler than WMCFW just because they were THAT much more ALTERNATIVE. (lol so hipster though. gotta love those creative-types, always trying to stick it to the man.) 

The Collections played host to edgier labels like Laura Siegel, Chloe Comme Parris, Label, Klaxon Howl, Sid Neigum and Cara Cheung while The ShOws presented the more "couture" lines like Jean-Pierre Braganza, Antonio Azzuolo and Jeremy Laing. Due to my crazy amount of school work (yay university mid-term season...) I couldn't make it to any of lines at The ShOws, but I did get to attend The Collections. I was given an all-access backstage pass! I got to run around backstage with all the models, makeup artists, and hair people, and I got to sit in front row. FUNZIES! 

Because I'm so behind on life, I still haven't gotten my runway reviews done for Dress to KILL yet..but I'm getting there I promise... For now please enjoy some of the backstage photos I took! 

Models in Chloe Comme Parris S/S 2013

Black talon nails for Cara Cheung 

Pink eyelashes for Laura Siegel

Caveman breads for Cara Cheung

Bright eyes for S/S 2013!

Chloe Comme Parris prep braids for big curly hair 

Aveda products! love this stuff.

Chloe and I being shits. As usual.

Model of Laura Siegel 

Last minute pre-runway huddle before Laura Siegel show

6 stylists for 1 model backstage at Label

Dark eyes for Sid Neigum

MAC makeup backstage 

Nylon caps and dark eyes for Sid Neigum

Charcuterie table for all those hungry fashion people. I think I survived on almonds... Damn you vege-unfriendly people

Model after Cara Cheung show with her fashion dog Ella.

The ShOws - Ruffian F/W 2012 for Dress To Kill

A few days after Fashion Week was over and done with, I got a call from my editor at Dress To KILL magazine. I thought my runway adventures were over (for this season at least) but NO! He wanted me to go to a secrete/super exclusive/only-for-the-fashion-elite runway show at the super glamourous Ritz Carlton Hotel.

Ruffian runway at The ShOws
photo: Elayne

"Elayne, can you make it to The ShOws tonight and review the Ruffian show.?"

My answer was an automatic YES! But I had no idea what The ShOws were... First thing that came to mind was - umm Mr. Bossman you need to be more weary of the use of capital letters, I believe it's spelt shows not ShOws. Shows how much I know (not a member of the elite squad I guess, Pffffff AM NOW! HA)... Anyway, once I googled it and found out that The ShOws were basically the cooler and more exclusive version of the normal Toronto Fashion Week, where designers like Jeremy Lang, David Szeto, Jean-Pierre Braganza - who are way to posh to show their lines during the scheduled Fashion Week with all those other Canadian designers - sent their F/W lines down the runway.

When I walked into the lobby of the Ritz Carlton Toronto, I got a glimpse of what it was like to be a rich Toronto businessperson. There were at least 25 suited-up, good-looking, 30 somethings laughing and drinking at the bar (it was like 6 pm on a thursday. Never too early to get your drink on). I followed the crowd of familiar Fashion Week faces up the shiny marble stairs to the lobby of the ballroom where the Ruffian show was to take place. The best thing about the whole experience : ALL THE FREE STUFF! As soon as I signed in, I was handed a little bag filled with lipsticks, shampoo samples, perfume samples, candies, etc. It was greaaat! They also had a huge table of coffee and tea options. (SO much more fun than Fashion Week).

After maybe 3 free coffees and 75 Jolly Ranchers, the ballroom doors opened and I was ushered into the runway room. As I wander around looking for my assigned seat, I was stopped by Lolitta Dandoy of Clin d'oeil magazine. She liked what I was wearing and took this somewhat unfortunate photo of me for one of her street style posts.

Ask me what I'm doing with my face. My answer: I wish I knew. It looks like I'm about to sneeze. At least my outfit looks cute...

The Ruffian show was fun. I sat next to, and made friends with, Mary Kitchen of CityTV. Nbd. The line was super Downton Abbey/British countryside. Real cute. For more info on the actual collection, read my article for Dress To KILL mag.

photo: Elayne

photo: Elayne

photo: Elayne

photo: Elayne

photo: Elayne

photo: Elayne