WMCFW Day 3… Pink Tartan, Joe Fresh and Mackage
By Ainsley Kerr (YYZEvents Fashion Writer)
TORONTO, ON – Everyone knows the night that Pink Tartan and Joe Fresh show it is the busiest night during fashion week – not only are these the most heavily attended shows but they are the most publicized internationally.
I started the day wearing a gorgeous cream Lucian Matis shift dress paired with my Tuck Shoppe and Co Albany Stole, Stuart Weitzman snakeskin pumps and Danier Leather bag. The first show I attended was Christopher Bates who has become a fast friend since he designed a bouquet for my Blooms for Boobs fundraiser just last month. With his clean cut lines it is clear that Bates was trained at the Istituto Marangoni. His diverse use of models of all ages complimented the fact that his collection is for the everyday man no matter what his decade. He is perhaps one of the few designers that can make leather pants for men that look both casual and comfortable. Men if you are in the market for an extremely well tailored suit – Christopher Bates is your guy.
After a quick costume change – I channeled my inner Jackie O with a shift dress from Pink Tartan’s SS2014 collection complete with a matching white spring jacket. I paired it with a beautiful pair of floral pumps from Paul Andrew and a pop of pink Pink Tartan clutch. While the weather did not agree with my springtime fashion I was lucky to have a good friend at the Shangri-La hotel who was kind enough to grab an umbrella of theirs for me – which just so happened to perfectly match my outfit.
First up in the evening’s shows we hit Pink Tartan. Walking in there was a mélange of gorgeous notable woman that lined the front row all decked in Pink Tartan gear. Behind, people elbowed their way to get a good view of one of the most highly anticipated shows of the season. Kim Newport-Mimran’s designs reflect the needs of the modern day working woman who juggles multiple hats throughout the day. Her designs blend the idea of strong and feminine; her pieces are functional yet timeless. Although she dabbles in trends – when you invest in Pink Tartan her pieces remain in your closet forever. I loved her use of fur this season; particularly the Aspen friendly over sized gloves, her chunky knits and bold tartans. One cheeky piece appeared as though the model had still been draped in her duvet as if refusing to get out of bed.
Kim’s show was directly followed up by her other half, Joe Mimran’s show, Joe Fresh. To some, Joe Fresh may just be viewed as their local grocery clothing store, but those in the know understand that it is the best way to get ahold of trends without draining your wallet. I have always said that I could walk away with 95% of the collection that Joe Fresh has on the runway and this season was no exception. I loved his trendy pieces that stuck within wearable tones such as grey, olive and camel. Urban hipsters will make sure that this collection sells out the moment it hits the store.
Last up for the evening was Mackage. This line has caused much controversy for me based on a tweet that I sent another jacket line last year (which was meant very tongue in cheek but obviously spiraled out of control). I have always looked forward to their show since we spend almost seven months of the year in jackets and I consider jackets to be an integral part of a complete “look”. Mackage set the stage this evening with cool fall lighting and maple leaves scattering their runway. This show is so hot that Shenae Grimes flew in to check it out. While Mackage is known for their deliciously hot winter coats my lusted after pieces have to be their handbags and I loved that they were bring the fanny handbag back.
After the show we headed to the after party for Mackage which was hosted at King Street hot spot The Citizen where a roped off area allowed the VIPs to schmooze up close with the designers and models – all in a playground of free flowing champagne and Grey Goose. We did not stay late as at the after party last year we heard of one regularly tame front row attendee who decided to fling herself off the bar (landing safely in 5 1/2 inch Brian Atwoods mind you) before calling it a night.
