Local designers showcased at RE-DONE II: A Fashion Competition from the founders of RCHIVE and The Combine
By Lauren Watson
On the night of Oct. 10, lights were flashing, cameras were clicking and trimmings of fabric scraps were scattered all throughout The Combine in downtown Toronto — a scene practically plucked right from an episode of Project Runway. Fashion connoisseurs dressed to the nines from all across the city stepped out and filled in the Wellington Street venue, with pedestrians passing by in awe, wondering what fashion event was undoubtedly underway.
This was the second instalment of the RE-DONE fashion competition finale hosted in collaboration between RCHIVE and The Combine. The night’s event was to determine the winner of this sustainable design competition, with attendees holding all the power. The audience has their say when selecting not only the winner of the challenge but the grand prize of $1000.
In attendance were young creatives looking to dip their toes in the city’s fashion scene and chic, friends rooting for their favourite designer and the city’s uber-fashionable.
The venue was buzzing with local fashion lovers and creatives excitedly anticipating the reveal of the designers’ collection from this year’s competition. The noise of nostalgic 2000’s jams and lively conversations filled the room as the night was underway.
The event was a major success with a great turnout. The room was practically filled to the brim with people breaking their necks to see each of the looks, as the models graced the runway from above.
Speaking with RCHIVE co-founder Ion Sobaliu, I was surprised to learn the inspiration behind the RE-DONE competition came from an unsuspecting bundle of clothes.
“We have some clothes that were overstocked, and we just decided to give them to the designers to re-work them,” said Sobaliu.
RCHIVE offered the designers a chance to deliver on the fashion club’s mission of fueling a new wave of creativity in the city. This challenge was undoubtedly accepted.
“We thought a fashion competition was a sustainable way to re-work garments into something that’s ready-to-wear and modern, but it’s also a great way to shine a light on all the designers the city has to offer.”
The designers each created two looks — one masculine and one feminine — within two live, 8-hour production days at RCHIVE’s storefront on King Street W. The theme of this year’s competition: Yin and Yang focuses on the idea of dichotomy and light and dark. Each designer is able to showcase their versatility with a pair of contrasting designs. The result — a beautifully diverse collection of unique interpretations of the theme.
Beyond what I thought was just another mundane fashion event to determine the winner of a design competition, turned out to be an exciting opportunity to connect with local creatives and exchange a mutual passion for fashion in a refreshingly inviting environment. The night celebrated local designers, showcasing their ability to masterfully design garments under strict time constraints, making for a thrilling event. Let’s just say I left with feeling an overwhelming eagerness to dive right into my own creative endeavours.
Here’s the breakdown of each designer’s creations:
Kendrick Tran
Kendrick Tran had his runway debut at Fashion Art Toronto last winter and has returned with his star power this time to the RCHIVE runway. The queer Vietnamese designer, known for his androgynous garments, envisioned this theme as his interpretation of the divine feminine and masculine, playing on the narrative of good and bad.
“When I think about a woman I think about empowerment, an angel blessed by the gods. So my interpretation of this was like if you were at a streetwear event in heaven,” said Tran. “For the male look, I thought about toxic masculinity, the male gaze, so I think about the devil.”
Tran’s masculine look utilized ribbing, torn garments and pins to symbolize the tortured male soul, with accents of black and red textiles to represent flesh and blood. The feminine counterpart was adorned in an ethereal white draped gown — a personal favourite of mine.
Loco One
The avant-garde designer, known for gender-blurring designs and who made a name for himself in Vogue Italia and British GQ, is Christian Barrera Huerta — founder of Loco One. At RE-DONE, he has yet again impressed audiences with his craft, clearly derived from years of experience.
Huerta is known for pushing the envelope with his designs, blurring the lines of gender conformity with his bold eccentricity, and his looks for this competition did just that. Powerful energy radiated from the model’s makeup reminiscent of Japanese warrior and geisha face paint. His patchwork looks resemble that of nomadic desert gear with a monochromatic colour palette and hooded element in the male outfit. As the models struck their final pose on the runway, they intertwined arms, coming back to this overall theme of unity within gender expressions.
Michael Angelo
Models donning Michael Angelo’s designs marched down the runway alongside the deep techno rhythm echoing off the walls and bass that filled one’s eardrums. The Toronto designer debuted his impressive avant-garde-inspired collection under his label, Amatus Gray, at RCHIVE’s storefront last month. Similarly, his looks from the night are exactly what you would expect from a futuristic tech-goth collection from the year 2070.
Everything about Angelo’s work screamed innovation. From the cutouts on sleeves, black and white neck gaiters to the metallic accessories — Angelo delivered in true Amatus Gray fashion. His looks showcased his fresh take on nonconformist design as a ready-to-wear collection. This competition only further solidifies Angelo’s standing as dare I say… an up-and-coming pillar in Toronto’s fashion scene.
Fatalie
Fatalie is known for its mid-contemporary designs and appreciation for timeless fashion and quality craftsmanship. The sexy, ultra-flattering silhouette of Fatalie’s femme look complemented the male’s mixed denim, tote bag-wearing, contemporary outfit seamlessly. The draping of the femme’s dress accentuated Fatalie’s years of experience in custom gown creation.
Roderick Salai
Kitten heels, torn tights, an athletic waistband… and a bright red trapper hat? Roderick Salai’s looks perfectly balance athleisure outerwear with a hint of corporate sophistication. Salai stayed true to his brand–haute couture meets urban street style.
Where the outfits lacked practically was made up tenfold with their connection to the theme of the competition. From the balancing of these two opposing aesthetics, the light-to-dark colour ratio and the literal yin and yang design on the male’s top. The Fanshawe College fashion student stepped up to the plate and so did his supporters.
One of Salai’s friends, Shyan Cartier, stepped out in a custom plaid set entirely made by Salai. “I’m obviously here to support Roderick ’cause all of this that I’m wearing is [his],” said Cartier.
Maison Maya Ali
Maison Maya Ali brought forth two romantic looks that seemed to be a favourite amongst the crowd. Her female look takes the cake — a beautiful grey, ruched bodice gown with a tasteful amount of bows and lace. It’s a coquette lover’s dream.
Ali emphasized the dynamics of relationships within the yin and yang theme. She interwove the concept of innocence from her feminine design with the strong rigidness of her masculine counterpart.
“With this look, I specifically incorporated the lace from the women’s look into the male’s because even though the women are very feminine doesn’t mean their traits don’t intertwine. They give and take with each other and work in cohesion to create a bond,” Ali told CanCulture Magazine.
With the overwhelming applause from the crowd as her collection debuted, it is with no surprise that Ali was crowned the winner of the second season of RE-DONE and took home the grand prize.
We caught up with her moments after her acceptance speech to find out what was running through her mind as she was announced as the winner.
“I was feeling really shocked and grateful when they called my name because I don’t really know that many people so I just didn’t expect that at all.”
These designers took overlooked and overstocked garments and filled The Combine with a haute collection of their creative manifestation — transforming the event space into an unforgettable night for Toronto’s fashion lovers. RCHIVE has solidified themselves as a keystone of the local fashion space, and this is definitely not the last we’ll be seeing of them.
“The sky’s the limit with RCHIVE. We’re really about promoting Toronto creatives to the world,” said Ion. “We want to have a stable location in every major fashion city across the world. With every location showcase local Toronto-based fashion, art and music.”
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