Lions and tigers and seals, oh my! Seals you say? What does that have to do with LG Fashion Week? Last night, at the Holt Renfrew Media Cocktail and at the opening festivities of Fashion Week two PETA protestors stood outside each venue handing out pamphlets. One was outfitted in a seal costume, happily waving and posing for pictures – very few (including me) took their efforts seriously to upstage the evening.

5:30 p.m. Holt Renfrew Media Cocktail

Despite the seal, last night was full of fun, laughter and Canadian style. Holt Renfrew and the Fashion Design Council of Canada (FDCC) flexed its powerful fashion muscle by gathering together designers, media, fashion bloggers and sponsors in Holt’s Bloor Street store for its annual media cocktail party.

Speeches by Barbara Atkin, vice president and fashion director for Holt Renfrew, and Robin Kay, president of the FDCC kicked off the evening, followed by a mini fashion show featuring seven of Canada’s top design houses. They are: Greta Constantine, Denis Gagnon, Lida Baday, Jeremy Laing, Mikhael Kale, Pink Tartan and Smythe.

Dubbed the new “Group of Seven” by Kay, these very talented designers showcased capsules of their spring/summer 2010 (S/S 2010) collections. My heart skipped a beat as my eyes saw their expertly designed garments. The cut, colour and style of each collection presented made me swell with pride – this is Canadian talent and fashion that should be celebrated 365 days of the year, around the globe and in every store in the country.

Two collections I was drawn to were Denis Gagnon and Greta Constantine. The design duo of Greta Constantine (Kirk Pickersgill and Stephen Wong) presented four pieces from their S/S 2010 collection. My favourite was a white dress with a sharply cut deep v-front.

As for Denis Gagnon, well I think he and I need to become best friends. This was the first time I had the opportunity to see his clothing in real life, and it blew me away. Seeing only four pieces of his latest collection showed his talent for detail, and expert handling of cloth such as jersey, leather and zippers. A standout piece from Gagnon’s line was a leather jacket with zipper detailing along the cuffs, neckline and hem. Edgy and genius! Take note of Gagnon’s custom-designed Aldo shoes which received a lot of attention during his presentation at Montreal Fashion Week (see Fashionmagazine.com for more information).

Personal highlights of the evening was having the pleasure of finally meeting two of Canada’s top fashion bloggers, Anita Clarke of I Want I Got and Danielle Meder of Final Fashion, as well as reconnecting with an old friend from university, Monica Mei who is the designer of Aime; I’m so proud of her accomplishments and I will definitely be attending her show this Thursday.

9:00 p.m. On the runway... at LG Fashion Week (1030 King Street West)

Now over to LG Fashion Week’s new home in Liberty Village where Lucian Matis was announced the winner of the FDCC Designer Development Fund followed by two fashion shows, 100 years of Beauty by L’Oreal Paris and the Stratford Shakespeare Festival “Wear Love Alive.”

The first show, 100 years of Beauty by L’Oréal Paris, opened with an opera singer and then chronicled fashion trends and beauty throughout the ages. It was quite beautiful and artfully presented showcasing garments on the runway from each decade starting from the year 1900 and ending at 2010.

Stratford Shakespeare Festival “Wear Love Alive” presented a runway show full of drama, elegance and sophistication. The costumes from the Stratford Shakespeare Festival utilized a variety of cloth including feathers, fur and lace that added a feeling of sumptuousness to the garments. Topping off the end of the show was a group of male models strutting down the runway. Be still my beating heart!

Now I’m onto day two of LG Fashion Week, stay tuned.

Photos taken by Kimberly Lyn.