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Refined By Evan Biddell
www.evanbiddell.ca


After and impressive Fall 2010 presentation at LG Fashion Week in Toronto, Evan Biddell hit the [FAT] stage to premiere his “Refined by Evan Biddell” collection. Evan has partnered up with Cher Thornton from The Refinery to create an eco-friendly collection of updated vintage pieces. The creations got their debuted on Earth Day with a thunderous nod of approval from the audience but for me what Evan really did with this collection is remind us all that no one really does street wear cool in Canada like he does. There was leather, lots of attitude and an army of recognizable fashion and music faces from the Toronto scene who all walked the runway in the killer re-worked pieces. A tailored sleeveless trench, leather shorts, a little fur... it was all awesome as expected.
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Anew by Dayna Phillips



It looks like Dayna Phillips is creating quite a name for herself. After winning the Alfred Sung Design award in her graduating year at Ryerson the young designer has been popping up around town and getting a little bit of recognition but the romantic collection that she presented on day 2 of [FAT] will more than likely bring that recognition to a whole other level. The flirty collection came in predominately neutral shades with surprise splashes of bold colours that definitely added interest. The pieces that came down the runway were simple, wearable and oh so pretty.
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Magpie
www.magpiedesigns.ca


The dramatic runway presentation may have been a little over-the-top at points but I have to admit that I couldn’t take my eyes off of the elaborate pieces from Cathy McDayter and Angela Mann. Details were abundant and each of the deep tie-dyed coloured gowns was incredibly creative. A variety of materials mixed with elaborate draping, pleating and unusual embellishments resulted in incredibly creative gowns. Not necessarily wearable but incredibly fascinating!
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Worth by David C. Wigley
http://www.facebook.com/.../Worth-by-David-C-Wigley/



After an impressive opening film featuring the Worth by David C. Wigley collection... models strutted their stuff to the pounding beat of Lady Gaga and Madonna. There were ups and downs on the runway but I have to admit I was totally digging a men’s off-white top with a giant cut out in the back which was worn with a pair of "almost" formal sweatpants. As for the highlights from David's women’s pieces? Well the young designer offered a hot white suit that brought a little glam to the runway... but it was a gorgeous black coat with phenomenal elbow pleating that showed the audience that this designer has a ton of future potential.
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Hedylidae by Emily Woudenberg and Anastasiya Kuyevda
www.emsbeads.com
www.kuyev.com



Like many of the [FAT] designers I wasn't really familiar with Emily Woudenberg and Anastasiya Kuyevda... but teamed together these girls proved they have talent. Hedylida was lovely. The design duo sent truly romantic designs down the runway that instantly made me take notice. A gorgeous floor length gown that seemed to float down the catwalk was definitely my favourite piece.

Romandin by Cristina Sabaiduc


I think my favourite collection of the week had to be Romandin by designer Cristina Sabaiduc. This festival is filled with innovative designs but Romandin took innovative to another level. The collection was truly fascinating. Dresses that made their way down the [FAT] runway may have been constructed with materials you might find at your local hardware store but all of the pieces maintained femininity. Chicken wire, caulking, ribbon... it was all used. A sleeveless cocktail dress that had been painted in caulking was truly incredible. Another piece that was introduced in an opening "backstage" video finally made its way onto the stage and received a ton of love from the audience. The dress utilized magnets which enabled the dress to be shaped and reshaped effortlessly. Absolutely amazing!
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Taessa Chorny
www.taessachorny.com



This was Taessa Chorny's first collection and I have to say that the designer delivered a strong collection of dresses on the final runway night of [FAT]. Short and sassy sequin dresses along with a gorgeous floor length dresses all caught my attention. The collection was well thought out with exceptional tailoring.
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Fiore


One of the final collections at this year's [FAT] celebration was courtesy of Fiore. Fiore brought wilderness glam in gorgeous neutral shades to the runway on Saturday night. Elaborate pieces filled with imagination and drama... I have to say that I was more than impressed.
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And that’s a wrap. Of course there were tons of other designers to hit the [FAT] runway. For example: three young designers (Pippa, Fashion Whore and Artifice) all delivered fascinating well executed collections in mostly PVC.

The four evenings of fashion offered everything including: the good, the bad and the inconsistent. I really wanted to highlight a few designers that really caught my attention and I hope we will be seeing a little more from on the Canadian fashion scene... hopefully in the near future.

For more on the Toronto Alternative Arts and Fashion Week check out their official site at: www.getfat.ca.

(Photos by: John Lee - Digital Fabrik / courtesy of: [FAT])