Featuring a whopping 50 designers, FAT sprung back to life for a new season

By Kinza Zafar

Toronto’s fashion pulse quickened as the city’s longest-running fashion week took centre stage once again, setting ablaze a 200-foot runway with unparalleled creativity.

From May 2 to 5, Fashion Art Toronto (FAT) transformed an unassuming multi-use West-end warehouse into the epicentre of springtime and summer Canadian couture. 

Now sponsored by the Kronenbourg 1664 brewery and occurring at the same time as new-kid-on-the-block Rchive’s rivalling ‘unofficial fashion week,’ FAT unveiled its latest and hottest chapter. 

In an exclusive interview with CanCulture Magazine, FAT founder and director Vanja Vasic shared how S/S 24 differs from past fashion weeks. According to Vasic, attendees said this season had a “fun, welcoming, easy-going vibe” and people felt comfortable expressing their bodies and styles. “Fashion Art Toronto has always been on the brink of what’s happening,” she said.

Here are some standout moments from FAT’s 2024 Spring/Summer show that left fashion aficionados and casual spectators alike buzzing.

A cool summer

This season, designers brought a fresh wave of innovation and style, marking the ‘rebirth of cool.’ Techno wear, cyberpunk attire, club fits and whimsical street style dominated the runway with designers including Vibe The People, SEB, Filomena Dos Santos, Elantur and Montreal’s ‘talent incubator’ Lignes Des Fuites. An array of subcultures seamlessly blended with high fashion to deliver a celebration of forward-thinking style that captures the essence of the modern moment.

The art of accessories

Oversized earrings, flower-bouquet-crowns, bows fit for a monarch… and a lit cigarette? Accessories at FAT were anything but conventional. Designers played with scale, materials and unexpected elements to create pieces that were visually striking and pushing the envelope. 

As part of DeathWorks’ closing show on Day 3, a model strutted down the runway wearing a print-collage crown, a collar necklace made of partially burnt cigarettes, a black tulle skirt and a heart-shaped and bow-adorned top plastered with cigarette packaging . After turning the corner, they lit a real cigarette, occasionally puffing it and posing with it throughout their walk.

Gender, interrupted

Traditional boundaries and stereotypes faded into obscurity on the runway this season. Models strode with confidence, blurring the lines between masculine and feminine aesthetics, showcasing a range of styles that transcend the construct of gender. Most notably, Brandon Keir’s “STARFUCKER” collection included achromatic drag-inspired looks with sharp silhouettes and bold contrasts. Kyana Kingbird and DeathWorks also represented gender expression on the runway.

Political threads

Several collections featured designs that made political and social statements, using fashion as a medium to comment on contemporary issues. From eco-friendly fabrics to garments emblazoned with bold slogans, the runway designers highlighted the power of fashion to inspire change and provoke thought.

In addition to feather-printed casual wear, Indigenous apparel brand Neechi by Nature’s show featured models wearing ski-masks and seemingly bulletproof vests. At the end of the show, all models along with the designer returned for another lap around the runway, this time with their fists in the air. 

Another bold, memorable look from DeathWorks’ show was a fitted corset and matching thigh cuffs made of reusable grocery bags from big box stores including Walmart, Metro, FreshCo and Food Basics. Atop the print were two words in all-caps: ROB LOCAL. Shortly afterwards, a model wearing a white button down and black tie strutted down — a seemingly basic look except for the fact there was a spray-painted pentagram on their shirt along with the acronym “CEO” written in what could be interpreted as blood. The model was also rocking a pair of black shades with American dollar bills shoved behind them.

Acting out

The FAT runway was not just a platform for fashion but a stage for dynamic performances that brought the designs to life in spectacular ways. Models didn’t just walk — they danced, sang and performed, turning the runway into a living, breathing work of art. 

One particularly jaw-dropping segment featured models performing a synchronized dance routine, choreographed to match the rhythms of the music and the flow of the garments, as part of Roney X’s eclectic show. 

In another highlight, a live singer opened for Tran Thien Khanh Design and serenaded the audience while models presented an ethereal Vietnamese-inspired collection, adding an emotional depth to the visual feast.

During SEB’s show — that Vasic deemed “badass” — models walked with overexaggerated movements that mimicked one being drunk, dragging their feet across the runway and struggling to carry their own body weight. This hit home the designer’s narrative of rebellious and edgy counter-culture couture.

What’s the time?

Blends of time periods and fashion styles created an unforgettable retro-futuristic vibe this season. Designers skillfully mixed vintage aesthetics with futuristic elements, producing collections that felt both nostalgic and forward-looking. This fusion of eras showcased the timeless nature of fashion and its ability to constantly reinvent itself. The S/S 24 season-closer by Storrveldi whisked guests away to a magical medieval realm, complete with a ruler, knight and jester in vibrant garments, as part of a collection called “Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors.”

There’s nothing quite like the palpable energy of a live runway show. The charisma of models strutting down the catwalk and the electric atmosphere of the audience brought a renewed sense of excitement to the fashion scene. Designers went all out with creations that were as much art as attire. The runway was a spectacle of bold experimentation and fearless innovation, a reminder of fashion’s power of storytelling and worldbuilding.

As Vasic said, FAT is all about collaboration. With partnerships with the Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto International Film Festival and other local organizations throughout the year, FAT is dedicated to showcasing Canadian designers beyond just fashion week.

“Toronto has a lot to offer in terms of fashion. But I think we’re still discovering our identities, so a lot of that [fashion] is our discovery.”