FABULOUS HAMILTON FASHION WEEK
Hamilton Fashion Week 2017 showcased more than a dozen local and Canadian designers on the weekend at Digital Canaries Studios. Here’s a sample of what showgoers saw at Saturday’s matinee.
Designs by Merike showed Merike Laigna’s luxurious custom evening and formal wear collection of one-of-a-kind pieces that are classic in cut and shape with delightfully bright, bold colours and embellishments and luxurious, intriguing details. Each is dreamt up in a collaborative way with Laigna and a client.
“Sometimes I feel like a wizard,” said Laigna, who has been designing custom bridal gowns for more than 15 years and has a studio in Hamilton at 544 Upper James St.
A beautiful piece of fabric often serves as inspiration for a new design. For more information, visit www.merike.ca.
Pop Sauvage is Vanessa Barrett’s handmade, all-crochet collection.
“There is so much character to it and it’s a lost art,” Barrett said of crocheting.
Each edgy and sexy design is different; creating a collection of all the same look doesn’t interest her.
“I wanted to showcase all the variations of what this can really be,” the Toronto-based designer said of the looks she chose to show at HFW2017.
Inspiration comes from seeing an item of clothing on someone in a magazine or walking down the street. Barrett then challenges herself to reproduce something similar in crochet, making her own patterns and playing with designs for items such as halter tops, sundresses and long, mermaid style gowns.
You’ll find her at www.pinterest.com/PopSauvage.
Tashi Apparel is a ready to wear and couture label of contemporary fashion and evening wear for women that’s made in Canada.
Toronto-based designer Khin Chung uses a range of fabrics including velvet, boiled wool, silk and cotton. She is all about the details; she loves colour and adding flowers and other eye-catching embellishments to her clothing. A smart red velvet coat dress with military buttons featured at HFW resembles a woman’s suit from behind while the front is coatlike, with pockets and peplum detailing.
The bead work on her silk evening gowns is all done by hand.
Chung says she was inspired from a young age by her mother, who made her own clothing. She recalls being excited during shopping trips for fabric, and says she asked for a sewing machine for her birthday.
She chose Tashi for the name of her business, which is Tibetan for “good fortune.”
Chung said that “as Canadians, we need to support our own” designers and manufacturers.
Tashi Apparel can be found at www.tashi.ca.
Luxury Fur, based in Niagara Falls, Ont., imports luxury fur from the Ukraine such as arctic fox, mink and rabbit.
Owner Katerina SokolovaDroujko, who is originally from the Ukraine, says she became inspired to open her company because she loves the texture and warmth of fur. The vests, coats and hats shown at HFW2017 are from various labels, but Sokolova-Droujko plans to collaborate with designers on an inhouse collection. Her belief is that “fur, like gold, is forever” as it stands the test of time and is always beautiful and functional.
For more information, email Katrina@luxury_fur_ca.
Maricar Studio is a romantic, Canadian-made collection featuring unique evening and pageant wear with simple, modern silhouettes and intricate details. The pieces that hit the runway on Saturday was in a neutral palette with delicate embellishments such as organza bows, feathers, lace appliqués, and pearls.
Brampton-based Maricar Nacario, a mother of two who has interned at “many of Toronto’s top fashion houses” after graduating from the fashion design program at George Brown College says her inspiration comes from a desire “for a woman to feel confident, empowered and beautiful.”
Her designs can be found at www.maricarstudio.com and at ink361.com under maricarstudio/ photos.