Nuit Nouvelles

NUITS NOUVELLES from John Londono on Vimeo.
The final slot at this past season's LGFW belonged to Montreal's very own Denis Gagnon. Prior to the runway, Gagnon debuted a fashion film titled Nuit Nouvelles (above). It was moody, mysterious, hazy and edgy. Models frolicked in a forested area, floated in water and danced around fireworks. It felt a little bit like The Virgin Suicides, which I very much enjoyed. My followers should know by now that Gagnon is my absolute favourite Canadian designer and based on who I saw front row, it is clear that the top taste-makers of  the Canadian fashion scene adore him too.

Fashion Television's Jeanne Beker and Greta Constantine designers Stephen Wong and Kirk Pickersgill.

Contrary to the video's moodiness, the runway was actually very light-hearted, romantic and very French. Models skipped down the runway in florals, gingham, satin and pleats with fresh, simple make-up and loose, dishevelled hair styles to the sound of C'est Si Bon playing above.

Gagnon's trademarks were present in black, white and leather goods but the champagne shade was something new. The looks were fully accessorized from head to toe, featuring belts, watches and bags. The floral backpack was the biggest hit (not pictured). There was a juxtaposition of de-construction and tailoring offered with femininity and a laid-back sexy cool. Seeing the floral pattern layered on top of itself in different garments was interesting and pulled me into a lavish, over-indulgent feeling.

To give the audience even more cheer, Gagnon gave us two wedding looks and a playful makeshift ceremony. The beautiful model wearing a springy take on the tuxedo wed another model wearing a lovely, lady-like satin trench coat. The nuptials were officiated by the camera pit, and the models shared a kiss while church bells rung in the background.

This past summer I visited the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts to see The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier: From the Sidewalk to the Catwalk, where I picked up the table top book and saw an interview with Denis about how JPG has influenced him as a designer. He said "I adored his energy, I even dressed like him. I followed everything he was doing closely and tried to interpret the designs he showed on the runway." Gagnon reminded me a lot about what I had learned about Gaultier this past summer and it was evident that what inspires me about him still inspires Denis too. If you read my post about the experience you would see the similarities.

It was all there: the energy, the humour, the effervescence. And I loved it.

insectia

Vawk designer Sunny Fong gave a beautiful collection inspired by insects this past October at LG Fashion Week in Toronto. Keeping feminine silhouettes definitely prevented this collection from looking too literal and the outcome was sexy, ethereal and exotic. The highlights of this collection featured looks with laser cut details, sheer fabrics and wing motifs on his stunning gowns.

What was most incredible to see was the presence of atypical models on the runway. We saw a mature model (above right) and a plus size model (from Ben Barry Agency, below center), both of whom worked the runway and represented for all women. 

Garden of Roses

saturday was the second last day of Luminato, and as i mentioned in a previous post, i really wanted to check out Denis Gagnon's piece, sponsored by Lancôme. the dressed weighs about 25 lbs and much of the material was sourced in Paris. beginning his career in costume design, Gagnon has been in the industry for over a decade and his signature style is unmatched. this is a breathtaking piece, that to me, is so stunning would almost be a mortal sin to put it on! this is a piece of art that is for display only.

last year i had been blown away by his spring/summer 2011 show at LGFW when i saw it for an assignment. and last year he was the very first canadian designer featured at La Musée des Beaux-Arts de Montréal. Gagnon is famous for his use of leather, lace and chain. there is no doubt that this dress could have been an additional piece to the collection. he loves fringe and hardware and draping. every garment is consistent in theme but has it's own interpretation, it's own freshness and surprise. the photos from the show were taken by my friend Evania from ELV.

i follow both denis gagnon and jeanne beker (who wears his deisgns) on twitter, and i pretty much witnessed them making dinner plans together before the Luminato launch and i must say, having a personal friendship and the support/fandom of the famous FTV host kind of makes you legit. i really hope this inspires people to check out canadian fashion. canada is not just the dsquared2 jeans madonna wore in the don't tell me video. alot of our designers like Mark Fast, Erdem and Jeremy Laing have had great success internationally, so i hope we start getting recognized a little more for what we do. there's amazing talent in our own backyard!

line knitwear f/w 2011

so i ended up going to fashion week after all. Much thanks goes to She Does the City for selecting me in their tweetstakes for free tickets to the Line Knitwear encore show last night. below are some of my decent photos, featuring the lovely Elle, who was kind enough to let me accompany her and her friends (since my life was so last minute i didn't even have time to find a date) thanks Elle!

ps: i'm sorry that i was an idiot and didn't take a picture of what i was wearing. i will have to put it on again in the near future and share it. but i wore a pair of my danny pollak earrings, denis gagnon for bedo wrap dress (the one with the exaggerated zipper shoulders!) and just some black payless pumps that i got second hand.
i did capture the attention of the official LGFW blogger, she snapped a couple of photos of myself and the girl i was chatting with, but we didn't make the cut when she wrote her post.

enjoy these luscious knits!

lg fashion week, march 2011

this morning fdcc announced what the schedule is for the upcoming fall shows at lgfw in march.
after going last october to see the spring shows, i am very excited about seeing what fall is like for canadian design.

my list includes:
denis gagnon
pink tartan
sid neigum
basch by brandon
vawk
amanda lew kee

last season i saw rita leifhebber and denis gagnon.

denis is a montreal designer, so i'm excited to see he's going to be back in toronto again this season. after seeing his collection on the runway, reading up on him, and seeing alot of his pieces used in Flare magazine editorials, well, i became a HUGE fan. i ran straight over tp BEDO on queen and picked up 3 pieces from the collab. (once i get back to my own computer i can post the photos from the show and what i bought from the BEDO collection)

pink tartan has been getting alot of press over the last few years and have quite a celebrity following. kim and her husband are practically untouchable in the canadian fashion industry. they're pretty damn huge so look them up.

basch by brandon is by brandon r. dwyer, who competed in project runway canada. a classmate of mine had seen his show last season and i was really impressed with the photos. his collection was so feminine and fresh.

amanda lew kee showed last as well, and was pretty much the biggest discovery of the season. she's got some great momentum right now with the mass amounts of people supporting her. and her signature blue lips are a must see.