On Saturday, Nov. 18 2023, Fashion Art Toronto designers, new and old, revamp the runway with this fall/winter season showcase.
By Reema Najjar
Fashion Art Toronto model Amrit, showcases Mr. Haque. (Reema Najjar/CanCulture Magazine)
Day three of this fall/winter season at Fashion Art Toronto was a fusion of fashion and performance art ranging from violinists, to choreographed dances, and musical performances.
Most notable was Indonesian violinist Arma Dharma’s musical stylings for designer Juan Iskander’s KOH Montreal. KOH Montreal featured Fashion Art Toronto’s first Indonesian model, Jeremy Tobing.
Check out these runway designs in this CanCulture-exclusive interactive gallery:
Nazia Rehman’s tailored silk has traces of influence from Barbie, with hot pink power suits, and subtle shoulder pads.
Jessica Halabi’s bridal runway allowed for the extravagance of traditional Arab cultural weddings to take the stage. Halabi pays tribute to Palestinians with a Keffiyeh, a cultural and political statement embodying a symbolic show of solidarity. In sleek fashion, designer Jessica Halabi wore the Keffiyeh herself.
Mr. Haque's thematic approach to his collection was second to none. His new line ‘Avarice’ centers around a pinstripe pattern and incorporates choreographed dances. Before the debut of his first runway collection, captivating visuals grabbed the audience; with apocalyptic and cyber-punk elements.
Lacel’s second season’s runway showcase, ‘Explicite’, was equally jaw-dropping with their ‘club kid’ inspired designs (quite literally written on the designs themselves). The designer behind Lacel, Julien Lacel, has experience walking for previous Fashion Art Toronto runways as a model themselves. This runway stood out, as models walked down sporting ‘Troll-doll’ hair to match the funky and psychedelic approach to fashion design.
Raccoonguts took the audience by storm as well. A stylish warrior going to battle is what I pictured when viewing this runway. Most notable was the diversity in gender expression, and representation of disabled folks showcased with the model selection.
Last, but most definitely not least, the show closes off with VVeyago. A galactic journey was taken with this show. VVyeago’s designs remind me of futuristic space-wear inspiration, Star Trek comes to mind. Upon viewing previous runways of this designer, it is clear this designer has revamped and evolved this space odyssey-like show.
A celebration and opportunity for exposure to local fashion design, Fashion Art Toronto attracts a vast genre of artists fascinated by what this city’s fashion could offer. The 2023 Fall and Winter season for its third day of Toronto’s runway showcase, reinspired, evolved and most importantly, slayed.