Added: 11 months ago

 

Despite Montreal’s Fashion Week being spread over the course of three full days, I was only able to attend one evening’s worth of shows, and it being the final night of the fashion stretch, proved to be a night worth experiencing.  The Showroom bustled with busy buyers and trays of rose wine. Plastik Patrik played to a chic cocktail crowd in the adjoining space as coral clad beauties handed out oodles of sample products. Camera flashes and video cameras captured the best dressed and fashion elite as they milled about. The main room would quickly empty only to overflow again momentarily as people piled into the runway room: Annie 50, Barilla, Helmer. There was levity in the air, paired with anticipation, for the show of the week was within sight: Denis Gagnon. As bodies shuffled back and forth between shows, I made the critical error of going for a cigarette (spare me the lecture). In this short window of time, the hundreds of attendees vying for even standing room at Gagnon’s show flooded the Marche Bonsecours, so many in fact, that half the mob didn’t even get in! Unprecedented as it was, an announcement came overhead declaring that there would be an additional show directly after so as to accommodate everyone.  So there we sat, eagerly on the stairs waiting for our turn to see the Spring 2010 collection walk for the second time. And worth the wait it was, though not quite the same as experiencing it for the first time. The intangibility and exclusivity was somewhat lost. Next time, I’ll bring my Nicoderm.  

Trend Report

Hair: UPDOS. Big, dramatic coiffs. Messy or neat, take your pick, just be sure to finish the look it with an equally over-the-top floral embellishment.

Makeup: Fresh skin, rosy cheeks and pouty pink lips. Duh, it’s spring!

Clothes: Barilla showed a range of sexy, slinky but utterly dynamic pieces, like onesies, high-waisted paper bag shorts, crop tops and maxi dresses.  Denis Gagnon took things in a more hard-edged direction creating ruffles, collars and lapels out of zippers, impressive leatherwork and heavy structure. Look forward to vests, sheer inserts and bold shoulders.

Jewelry: TOUGH CUFFS. Big attention paid to the wrists for next season; the perfect way to add some toughness to a flirty spring ensemble. 

 

photo: Guillaume Pelletier

 

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