Fashion Week Ready with CF Toronto Eaton Centre

Ever since moving downtown, it’s become a tradition of mine to get fashion week ready at CF Toronto Eaton Centre. I can legit walk to the mall from my apartment, underground, which was perfect for this particularly rainy and chilly fashion week.

This season I partnered up with CF Toronto Eaton Centre to show you guys how easy it is to get street style-worthy looks from their wide selection of retailers – peppered with pre-existing things in my closet and a few high ticket items on loan. Once I did my final check in the mirror (hoping that the photographers stationed outside the tents would deem my look front-page-material) I was off to the shows. Five days straight. I live to tell my story of #TFW with @CFTOEatonCentre and #TorontoStyle.

Define #TorontoStyle? I was asked this question at the tents over and over again. This season, I have to admit, the style outside the tents – that being, the attendees – was surprisingly paired down. I like to call it the “too cool for street style” look. Instead of crazy feathers, top hats, digitigrades and any other peacocking tricks of the trade, Torontonians showed up in oversized bombers, ripped jeans, plaid and the colour black, donning beefy facial expressions.

Which is fine by me. There seems to be an undercurrent of Vetements’ influence but we are all getting the look for less at retailers like H&M, Zara and Forever 21. (At least I did). And this recession-chic current, as I also like to call it, was mirrored on the runway. An overwhelming percentage of shows (minus Mackage, Farley Chatto, and Greta Constantine) had a laissez-faire approach to their show production and designs. Less is more. Just show the clothes, white lights, white runway; don’t over-style; pair down, down, down.

MIKHAEL KALE FW16

Even Mikhael Kale, who I love for his beadwork and hyperbolic femininity, showed a very different collection this season draping his models in velvet, pinned haphazardly at the hip and falling wherever it may. Oh and for those wondering, Neenyo is the OVO team member who produced the show’s soundtrack.

MARAM FW16

Trends on the runway? Anything black. Lots of 70s tips of the hat. Sparkle. Gold trim, when needed. Wide leg everything. Relaxed fabrics – less leather, fur, and anything expensive. Lots of mesh, chainmaille, lots of appliqués.

MACKAGE FW16

My favourite show was definitely Mackage. Held offsite at the CBC Radio Building, everything from the set, the music, the clothes, and of course, the afterparty with DJ Brendan Fallis, made this event the highlight of the week. We danced all night and were reminded that fashion can still be fabulously over-the-top. I wore a bright teal suede jacket from Mackage with my Zara find, a crochet zig-zag pattern dress. This dress is available right now at CF Toronto Eaton Centre (just in time for Spring!). Incidentally, you can also find Mackage jackets at Aritzia and Saks Fifth Avenue Queen West. Just saying…

Oh well, time to sleep in and give my feet a rest until next season… Leave me a comment with your favourite Toronto Fashion Week shows, street styles, and faux pas!