Fall Fashion Outlook: Conservative

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Originally uploaded by 416style.

While all I can think about is a trip to Brazil next week and which summer clothes I can bust outta my closet, Fashion Week at Liberty Grand this week is all about Fall. I only had the opportunity to see Comrags, a poular Toronto brand, and while I found there were inspiring pieces throughout I felt I'd seen the theme before. My girlfriend called it... While I'd sum it up as orphan Welsh school boy style. Women, in just below knee length pleated skirts, were wearing what looked like their dad's shoes. Nice jackets and soft boho shirts were worn with leather harnesses reminiscent of archaic school book holders, or leiderhosen or a shoulder holster for a firearm. Never figured out what that was about.
Best part of a Fashion Week event is always crowd watching, some socialites, some reporters, some buyers and a bunch of us wannabes everywhere. Toronto is still really conservative about its fashion and it shows in the crowd. Black everywhere, little decoration except a silly logo bag and no one who really dares try something new. There were quite a few people who looked pretty slick but no one in the crowd could bust something different, take it to another level and become what Fashion Week should be all about...inspiring others to try something new. Express yourself people.

Calatrava in Toronto

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Originally uploaded by 416style.

I've always loved the design of Toronto's BCE place and knew that it was the work of distinguished architect Santiago Calatrava. Since then I've been enamored of this master of design and sing his praises to those with an open ear. Especially since seeing a recent exhibition of his work at the Metropolitain Museum of Art in New York City. He uses nature as both mother and teacher in his inspiration he says, these lead him to create marvellous statues of marble and steel cord which eventually will become world renowned skyscrapers of condos and office buildings like that in Malmo, Sweden or his upcoming unbelievable condo on the New York City shore at 80 South Street.
I can only hope his designs inspire others to build cities where we can walk in awe and marvel at the genius that surrounds us and is a part of us. Perhaps he already has. I've been mistakenly attributing Toronto's landmark Humber Pedestrian Bridge to the genius of Calatrava but recently found out he's not the only one who can design such symbiotic structures in our environment.