Inspiration runs wild
UNTTLD, Rudsak and VAWK leave mark on runway
UNTTLD
Toronto fashionistas should have stormed the barricade to see UNTTLD’s fall 2013 show previewed at World MasterCard Fashion Week Thursday. But alas, there were empty seats.
Montreal designers José Manuel StJacques and Simon Bélanger may resist being categorized, but their show was true to the traditions of their brand. It was geared to the avant-garde set and it was almost all black. Bélanger has a master’s in fashion from the Domus Academy in Milan. St-Jacques studied fine art textiles at Concordia University. They’re being heralded as a creative force poised for greatness, particularly as they dance so nimbly between alternative poetry and the more prosaic concerns of wearability and saleability.
The two worked with elements of men’s formal wear, as in a long, deconstructed tuxedo skirt/pant. Many of the dresses seemed dour from the front, but since they were most often backless, a chic, sex appeal was infused. They showed approachable items such as a classic black trench and a fluid black shirt, again sheer in back. Next season, seize the opportunity and see this show.
RUDSAK
Next year Rudsak celebrates its 20th anniversary. And designer Evik Asatoorian made it clear the fall 2013 collection for men and women is of particular importance. To mark the milestone, the collection has been transported back the 1970s, says Asatoorian.
Rudsak’s signature leather appliqués, exposed hardware, heritage snaps and crests ran throughout the collection.
“Galactic” black permeated the Rudsak runway, along with metallic paints and muted browns and khakis — colours of meteorites. The line was at times tough with women in snug black leather minis. Jackets were studded from shoulder to wrist. Nylon jackets were cinched with padded motocross seams.
In 2014, Montreal-based Rudsak plans to open four to five stores in the GTA. VAWK For fall 2013, VAWK designer Sunny Fong explored the harsh Canadian wilderness for inspiration. He called the collection Nordic Fauna and opened his show with a black-and-white video of a snowy wooded scene (though the snowflakes rose from the ground up).
One print that appeared on long dresses and fur-sleeved coats was an artful take on his theme. The Nordic print incorporated bare twigs trimmed in snow and brown leaves on white.
Even in winter, Fong injects sexual charm — a wool coat was made lighter with a transparent panel of pleats — a recurring detail in the collection.
Fong also added levity. A black strapless dress was decorated from the waist down with fur pompoms. There were also fur vests and fur collars and trims.
Fong was inspired by the precision tailoring of formal equestrian and hunting attire, a theme most evident in a tan wool Sherlock coat. Founded in 2004 by Sunny Fong, VAWK has made many appearances on world-renowned red carpets, including the Cannes International Film Festival and the Grammy Awards.
For fall, the collection features redcarpet dresses including a strapless “winter camo” gown.