FASHION Magazine

Jason Meyers, Karamea, Aqua di Lara and Nada

Posted on October 22, 2008

By Sarah Nicole Prickett

Let's start at the end: when Jason Meyers closed out his Spring 2009 collection with a wedding dress in bright white silk the rest of the show suddenly made sense.

It had been a rather electric romp, with ruffled and bow-tied frocks in hot turquoise, daffodil yellow, and an imagination-defying print that contained florals, polka-dots, and silver pinstripes (yes, all of the above). And we’d been wondering where we could possibly wear a dress that was half floral, half satin, and entirely too short. As cocktail frocks, Meyers’s designs were less than successful (even if the hems had been properly finished, or the seams ironed out). But as short and shiny bridesmaids dresses? Perfection. Single-and-looking sisters will be lining up around the block.

Before forming her indie-contemporary label Karamea, Michelle Turpin was a costume designer, crafting elaborate guises for dance, theatre, and film. So it's no surprise that for Spring 2009, she took The Studio's audience to a masquerade. Models paraded out with lacquered net shields over their faces, turning all eyes to the exquisitely thought out, if somewhat less dramatic, clothes. For spring, Turpin turned her inspiration—American artist Judith K. McMillan’s botanical X-rays —into motif, splashing the inky magnolia graphic over everything from a simple cotton shift to a full-blown ballskirt. Basic knits rounded out the capsule collection: cowl-back jerseys looked comfy and flattering and an elongated bubble skirt drew approving nods from front-rowers (we'll just pretend we didn't see that twin-set).  Plus! If you overlooked the shoes, you missed a smart DIY: adding swaths of black elastic to turn any platform into a killer little bootie.

If you think the fashion industry lacks a sense of humour, you've never had the privilege of attending the hot-as-Miami (though based in Montreal) Aqua di Lara show on the first day of Canadian winter. Just minutes after dashing from The Studio to the main tent—which, in only a leather jacket and the lightest of scarves, proved to be a near-death experience—I nabbed my boss's front row seat at Aqua di Lara to watch a rather cruel joke: a series of scorchingly hot-bodied models parade around the wind-chilled tent in swimwear worthy of a luxury-liner Caribbean cruise. Highlights were the strategically slashed one-pieces, which—along with intricately strappy bikinis—seem designed to give you inimitable tanlines. (Stringier styles in gold-shimmering orange, however, would be best left to Bahamas Barbie.) The showstopper was a white one-piece with a hand-embellished halter and a saucily scooped-out back. It's enough to make us book a one-way to Puerto Vallarta.

After several seasons of goddesses dresses, Grecian accents seem as ancient as Athena herself. Kudos to Nada Shepherd, then, for taking her age-old inspiration—the patroness of war, wisdom and the arts—and making the clothes in her Nada collection look modern and multi-dimensional. Purple, earth-toned, and deep forest plaids, their edges softly blurred, made for a pleasantly unexpected print in the usual draped dresses, most of which were shown with waists wrapped in knotted and studded leather. Ruched-sleeve tunics and slouchy leggings (a seeming contradiction, but trust us—a super-cool one) came in plaster-white jersey or beaten-bronze paillettes. Variations on Arab pants are everywhere this season, but Nada’s were among the best, slouchy and voluminous, yet lightweight. And just when we were getting bored of all the rope necks and cowl backs, a magnificent magenta caftan swept in, dropping jaws all the way down the front row.

Shown: NADA Spring 2009. Photography by Stephanie Trendocher

JASON MEYERS | KARAMEA | AQUA DI LARA | NADA | DAY 2: PART 2 | DAY 1

FASHION WEEK | SPRING 2009

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Categories: Runway Report | Fashion File | Toronto