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Local designers wrapped up Fashion Art Toronto with newness and innovation

CanCulture attends the showcase’s closing day and what the designers brought to the runway did not disappoint

By: Sena Law

A crowd of people standing in front of a black screen that reads “FAT”
Fashion Art Toronto wrapped up after a three day extravaganza of designer showcase and a great audience turnout. (Photograph by @andrewphoto88 courtesy of FAT)

Toronto’s longest-standing fashion showcase — Fashion Art Toronto returned this November, showcasing what the future holds for the Canadian high couture scene. Featuring 30 emerging Canadian fashion designers and brands, Parkdale Concert Hall was filled with glitz, glamour and innovation this past weekend as designers, models and attendees came dressed to impress.

Having attended the final day of the fashion showcase, I was met by some of the most extravagant and innovative outfits I have seen in a long time, not only from the runway, but many coming from the audience’s seats. Perhaps wanting to pull out all the stops and make a grandstand after two years of dressing up for our local convenience stores, ideas of newness and departure from the past were reflected widely in the designs showcased on Sunday.

Dukiri Apparel

A female model wearing a blue printed crop top, purple windbreaker and great nylon pants struts down the runway.
An athleisure-centric collection, Dukiri Apparel model wearing nylon jacket and pants with a printed crop top. (@gloriacaballero.ca)

Sunday’s showcase kicked off with Durkiri Apparel. Playful and comfortable are the two things that immediately came to mind when looking at Daniel Ukiri’s design— prioritizing comfort with matching sweatsuits of tie-dyes, patterns and bold colours, it’s clear that Dukiri Apparel is not taking itself too seriously. But it simultaneously sets itself apart by adding a much-needed playfulness to the streetwear scene. 

RUNWAYFASHIONSTREET

A male model walks down in runway while wearing a purple collared shirt and shorts and a orange headwear
RUNWAYFASHIONSTREET’s model wearing colour coordinated purple collar shirt and shorts with complimentary orange headwear (@gloriacaballero.ca)

It might have been a post-fall rainy day on Sunday, but inside Parkdale Hall, the runway was transformed into a seaside beach house with RUNWAYFASHIONSTREET’s display at FAT this year.

Above knee-length shorts, flowy fabric button-ups with a silhouette that resembles palaka garments (more commonly known as Hawaiian shirts) and the incorporation of neckties, this collection can only be described as the feeling of summer arrogance and expensive beachside luxury.

SAFI CREATIVES

A female model walks down the runway wearing a green dress that has cut outs in the shoulders and midriff.
Aligning with the theme of innovation, this SAFI CREATIVES shows off texture and silhouette with its subversive cutouts (@gloriacaballero.ca)

Who would have thought puffer vests could be so innovative? SAFI CREATIVES started the showcase with puffer vest sets that reignited my love for the insulated design and reminded me truly how sexy a winter garment could be.

SAFI designs did not shy away from experimenting with any and all types of fabrics and cutouts, mesh meets suit blazers,  quilts meets trench coats. With subversive and asymmetrical designs, the marrying of old-fashioned printed fabric and modern silhouettes and cutouts, SAFI had the best example of what modern reimagined is — traditional with a contemporary flair. 

UNLIKE

A female model wearing a long sleeveless denim dress with two large scrunchie on the wrist and ankle while walking down the runway
UNLIKE showcases denim galore with this all denim vest maxi dress (@gloriacaballero.ca)

Denim in fairy tales is what UNLIKE showcased at FAT this Sunday. Another playful display with a theme of denim design consistent in every piece. Pastel doll sleeves and princess silhouette with a tasteful touch of the rough on the edges material that is denim. This UNLIKE collection is a fairy tale, and it’s a badass one.

Amelia Tuu

A female model wearing a mesh dress with a beret while walking down the runway
This Parisian streetwear inspire piece by Amelia Tuu features matching beret and large floral designs on a mesh dress (@cosplay)

Also featured earlier in this year’s New York Fashion Week were Amelia Tuu’s designs. Amelia takes the audience to the streets of France with the bold use of berets and all-over prints, the Parisian influence in her designs is hard to ignore. Classically classy, Amelia Tuu graced FAT with French-streetwear-inspired designs that will always be timeless, you could almost smell the scents of cigarettes and French pastries.

Sunday’s show also featured AADHE, Brandon Kier, Pippa Latex, Jesse Won Sam, Demaine Tyrone and Kyle Grevacy. It was truly an eye-opening display and a fantastic reminder of the diverse and innovative multipotentiality that Toronto’s fashion scene has to offer. I absolutely cannot wait to see what’s to come from the designers at this year’s Fashion Art Toronto.