Showing in Toronto
Is just the latest coup for glitzy Montreal duo Pavoni.
TORONTO— Sometime between the first fierce gold cocktail dress, blindingly bright, short and tight, and the final exit of an extravagant ball gown of tulle and gold beading, the woman next to me leaned over and beamed, “That’s my son.”
Indeed, she has every reason to be proud of her son, Mike Derderian, half the team of Montreal’s Pavoni label, which showed on the first night of World MasterCard Fashion Week, as Toronto’s fashion week is called.
The latest coup for Pavoni, Italian for peacock, came two days after the show last week, when Kylie Minogue wore a black crystal beaded frock with a tattoo effect at a royal reception hosted by Prince Charles and his wife, Camilla, in London. And Miranda Lambert wore a nude crystal-encrusted confection at the Grammys, to considerable praise. Céline Dion (currently on the cover of Costco magazine in Pavoni), Shakira, Katie Perry and Carrie Underwood are among others who have appeared in the gowns.
These are fantasy pieces for princesses, brides and ultimately, perhaps, celebrities on the red carpet. But Derderian and his partner, Gianni Falcone, want to bring that glamour alive for every woman, at any age, whatever the occasion. They also dress brides, mothers of the bride and bar mitzvah parties.
“There is no age group, no target market,’’ Derderian said. “It’s about living the dream.’’
The spring collection, one of about 25 shows last week in Toronto, lived up to its title of Le Château de Versailles, with its acres of tulle or organza and breathtaking embellishments, painstakingly embroidered by hand. Crystal beads and lace were worked into sunburst, tattoo or floral patterns.
The pair studied fashion design at LaSalle College before launching the label in 2010. Previously, Derderian studied business at Concordia and worked for Zuhair Murad, the Lebanese couturier who shows in Paris and dressed Sofia Vergera in that teal handbeaded show-stopper at the Emmys.
“We design everything up to the flower at the tip of the dress. Everything is studied, everything has to be in its exact place, the patterns, the composition,’’ Derderian said backstage after the show. “The actual layout of the embroidery is extremely important to us. It makes or breaks the silhouette.” They find the best artisans from all over the world for the embroidery, Falcone added.
Clients come from Russia, the Middle East, London, Montreal and Toronto. In Canada, Pavoni is exclusively at Holt Renfrew. But if you haven’t seen the frocks there, that’s because they are sold out before they hit the racks. Prices range from $1,800 to $16,000, depending on the gown and the amount of work.
“They’ve got a rock star sensibility,’’ Barbara Atkin, vice-president of fashion direction at Holt Renfrew, said after the show. “Really, the workmanship on this collection is magnificent. It’s almost couture.’’
Meanwhile, Derderian’s mother was among the crowd of journalists and wellwishers backstage. She wore a black shirt with grosgrain ribbon ripples embellished with big black crystals, in the manner of Prada this season. Who made the shirt? I asked. She did, she replied. She is a couturier.
Pavoni shows its spring 2013 line, with jewels by Anzie, at a Montreal gala to benefit the Colorectal Cancer Association of Canada. The event is at Le Windsor at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday. Tickets are $375. Go to www.colorectal-cancer.ca or call 1-877502-6566.