Day four of |FAT| highlighted the emotion Joy and I have to say the runway shows were a pleasure to watch. Below are pictures and brief reviews of collections which caught my attention.

Felicia Burke

Felicia Burke’s art deco inspired collection not only played with circular shapes and graphic lines but highlights exaggerated silhouettes; shoulders are a primary focus of her designs this season. What also drew me to her clothing were the one-legged pant suits seen towards the end of her runway show. I thought it was a fun and whimsical take on the traditional women’s suit, combined with sharply cut necklines and the simplicity of using the colours of black and cream.

Taessa Chorny

Taessa Chorny’s collection could have stepped right off the runway and into a retail store. Her garments were the most wearable of all the designer collections seen at |FAT|. I was very impressed by the wearability and professional tailoring of her designs which speak to women who have taste for clothing that communicates luxurious ease. There were several pieces I pictured myself wearing to events and special occasions, such as a floor length black and white print dress, a short gold sequin jacket and a black sequin wide-leg pant – gorgeous!

Fiore

I didn’t know too much about Fiore but when the first dress stepped onto the runway I was captivated. The pieces are beautiful and seeing them from the first row gave me the opportunity to see the expert construction of the garments up-close. Fiore was an autumn delight, with earth-tone shades and multi-layered skirts that looked and rustled like leaves as the models walked down the runway. 

Baby Steinberg

The runway presentation of Baby Steinberg at |FAT| transported me onto a hot Brazilian beach sipping a fruit cocktail under a blistering sun. Then as I started to write the review for this collection I discovered the designer is Brazilian born – now it all falls into place. I really enjoyed Baby Steinberg’s use of tropical prints which gives the collection a fun and flirtatious feel. It definitely hits all the right notes of embodying and relaying the vibrancy and passionate nature of Brazilian culture and style.

Recently, |FAT| Toronto Alternative Arts and Fashion Week celebrated its fifth anniversary. The theme for this year was titled, Made with Love which highlighted a different aspect of the emotion each day during the week long event: longing, lust, rage and joy.

The runway shows at |FAT| cover the gamut, from abstract performance pieces to Goth clothing to couture-like silk ball gowns. Here are images from the fashion shows on day three, Rage.

Hedylidae by Emily Wandenberg and Anastasiya Kuyeda 

The colour palette for Hedylidae’s spring/summer 2010, by Emily Wandenberg and Anastasiya Kuyeda, appears in various shades of white which contributes to its romantic feel. The clothes were well tailored and cater towards women who appreciate form fitting pieces. Wandenberg and Kuyeda incorporate subtle detailing into their garments such as embroidery, beading and drapery that highlight the shoulders, hips and waist.

Aimée Tobolka 

Aimée Tobolka’s collection is sexy with a capital “S” with models strutting down the runway in black mesh, lace and patent leather. The peek-a-boo style garments are made for the extremely confident woman who isn’t afraid to show a little... er, make that a lot of skin.

Tobolka’s collection could have crossed over into the slutty end of the spectrum, but there is a level of sophistication and skill in the cut of her designs and the amount of skin revealed underneath. Draping techniques used in several pieces helps to soften the hard edge an all black collection evokes, as well as the models’ sleek chignons contributes to the high fashion feel of the overall look.

Heidi Ackerman 

Heidi Ackerman’s third collection was very futuristic yet wearable at the same time – a rare case when you assign this description to a designer’s collection. Ackerman plays with a lot of shapes for her spring/summer 2010 collection with an emphasis on the shoulders.

Romandin by Cristina Saibaiduc

You can tell by all the pictures I took of Cristina Saibaiduc’s collection, Romandin, that I was super excited to see what her finished clothing would look like on the runway. Our interview prior to |FAT| really helped me to understand the amount of work, thought and creativity put into developing these garments. The magnet dress caught the attention of the entire crowd when it was reshaped twice in front of the audience – a versatile and beautiful piece.

I had the opportunity to speak with Cristina Sabaiduc, designer of Romandin, a few days before she presents her extended fall/winter 2010 collection at |FAT| Toronto Alternative Arts and Fashion Week.

Cristina and I had a great discussion about her experiences as an up and coming fashion designer, the inspiration behind her latest collection and her plans for the future – the conversation was captured using my new digital voice recorder. Originally, I was going to transcribe our discussion for you to read, but the exchange between us has a good flow and you get a better sense of Cristina, as a designer and a person who has a wealth of experiences and is wise beyond her years.

Romandin runway show at |FAT|: Friday, April 23, 2010 at 10:30 p.m.

Location: Studio City, Liberty Village (1 Pardee Ave), Toronto

Advance tickets: $25 (day pass)

Tickets at the door: $30 (day pass)

About Cristina Sabaiduc: adventurous, quirky and strong-willed. Cristina Sabaiduc has always been driven to explore the unknown, looking for unfamiliar objects, places and experiences. Romanian-born and an avid traveler, her design aesthetic marries textile traditions and techniques from around the globe. Experimentation with unconventional materials pushes boundaries and offers the fashion world a fresh perspective.

Throughout four years at Ryerson University completing a Fashion Design degree, Sabaiduc’s efforts have been recognized and applauded. The Lancôme Scholarship of Excellence in Women’s Luxury Design, received in 2008 and the Le Château Inc. Scholarship, received in 2008 and 2009, show her dedication, talent and success in the fashion industry.

Honing her skills and refining her design sensibility with designers such as Carolina Herrera in New York and Jeremy Laing in Toronto laid the foundation for Sabaiduc to create Romandin.

The debut of Romandin in April 2009 at |FAT| Toronto Alternative Arts and Fashion Week was embraced by the media and won “...the week’s prize for innovation,” according to NOW Magazine. Through the combination of art, luxury and impeccable design techniques, Romandin aims to inspire and encourage its wearers to be fearless.

Romandin fall/winter 2010 collection: experimental design, artistic interpretation and the exploration of industrial materials are the driving powers behind Romandin, a line that challenges the differences between art and fashion. The collection draws inspiration from the ancient Babylonian civilization in stark contrast to the sketches of Constant’s New Babylon, a futuristic utopian society. The fall/winter 2010 collection examines and manipulates an array of unconventional materials; creating luxury by replacing traditional textiles with plastic chicken wire, caulking, fabric remnants and Swarovski crystals. Romandin dares to discover, to be different, to be a leader of new ideas and to bring innovation to women’s wardrobes.

If you’re looking to attend a fashion and art event that has bite and edge then I recommend |FAT| Toronto Alternative Arts & Fashion Week.

Event details: |FAT| celebrates its fifth year anniversary, staging a dynamic five day event at its new home within Studio City’s Film Studio Complex in Liberty Village.

|FAT| 2010 presents over 50 runway shows, live bands, photography exhibits, video screenings, art installations and multi-media parties celebrating national and international leaders in design, music arts and culture.

The fifth year anniversary edition of FAT titled “Made with Love” approaches fashion, art and music from the intelligence of the heart, surveying a different emotion each night.

Dates: Wednesday, April 21 to Sunday, April 25, 2010

Location: Studio City - Liberty Village, One Pardee Avenue, Toronto, ON

Tickets:

• Day pass, $25
• At the door, $30 per day
• Week pass (4 days), $70 at The Rage: 2 Kensington Ave.; Kensington Market Jazma Hair Inc: 8 St. Joseph St (Young & Wellesley); MOOG Audio: 442 Queen St West; Angel Gallery: 12 Ossington Ave (Queen and Ossington); Everyone Is An Artist: 289 Queen Street East.

Schedule:

April 21 |LONGING| is a wishful, contemplative and hopeful reflection on fashion through design, art, performance and music. Artists reference history and culture or look to the future in their quest for an ideal place, person, state and time.

April 22 |LUST| tackles issues around sexuality, desire, the body, identity and gender play, exploring the playful, luring and daring side of sexuality, clothing and seduction.

April 23 |RAGE| investigates a raw, youthful energy that is fighting, fiery and engaged. Designers and artists expose the exploding, conflicted and powerful tendencies of imbalance and frustration.

April 24 |JOY| surveys fashion and clothing from a colourful, energetic and fun point of view, showcasing fashion designers, performers, artists and musicians whose work is whimsical, playful and outrageous.

April 25 |MARKET| explores the emotion of fulfillment through a unique shopping experience. From 11:00AM – 1:00PM the industry is invited for an exclusive viewing opportunity of |FAT|’s best collections over mimosas and croissants. From 1-5pm FAT welcomes the pubic to purchase clothing hot off the runway.

This year, |FAT| Toronto Alternative Arts and Fashion Week celebrates its fifth anniversary. |FAT| always prides itself on an unconventional approach to beauty and I had the opportunity to stop by its casting call last weekend and see its team in action.

Here are a few images I took during the casting for this year’s theme, “Made with Love” which focuses on the artistic output of designers’ hearts and souls.

Images taken by Kimberly

Toronto Alternative Arts and Fashion Week searches for the city’s finest walkers 

On Saturday, March 20, |FAT| invites men and women of all shapes, sizes and ethnicities to strut their stuff and own the runway at |FAT| 2010. Over 200 of Toronto’s most engaging and unique beauties will be welcomed from 12-6 pm at 148 Augusta Ave. in Kensington Market.

|FAT| prides itself on its progressive and unconventional approach to beauty by encouraging diversity on the catwalk and showcasing models that are true representations of the men and women in our city. While spunk and a killer walk are still necessary requirements, |FAT| encourages models that can engage the public and inject their personalities into the clothing.

2010 marks the fifth anniversary of Toronto Alternative Arts and Fashion Week and with this year’s theme titled, “Made With Love,” the focus is on the output of the designer’s hearts and souls.

“If the runway is a body, models are the blood pumping through the veins of the garments,” says Vanja Vasic, executive director of |FAT|. “They are the heartbeat, the central powerhouse. They bring life, spirit and soul to the clothing.”

This year, models will work it on the runway for four action-packed, emotionally charged nights from April 21 to 24, 2010.

WHAT: Model casting call

WHEN: Saturday, March 20, 2010

TIME: 12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

WHERE: 148 Augusta Ave. (Kensington Market), Toronto, Ontario

View Larger Map