Majtenyi has fun with fabric at his fall 2007 show. As for the clothes, which were based upon London’s 1960 couture and early 18th century tailoring, they exhibited the work of a true admirer - and master - of fabric. The first look was a pin striped velveteen suit and the rest of the collection explored the ever-present masculine/feminine theme. The highlights included a white jacket boasting oscillating slices and a definitive swing dress with woolly, shredded fabrics. That said, it may take some time to develop the sense of sophistication required to translate this aesthetic in a more modern way,
Models strut their stuff at Fashion Pssychology. Credit Photo: canada.com
The show was followed by the Patrick Larrivee and Beryl Bacchus’ Fashion Psychology show. Titled “Bullets & Bracelets”, the collection was inspired by a superhero WonderWoman and opened promisingly, and with welcomed translation, with a shawl-collared cocoon white jacket and jersey stirrup pants. In general, though, it was hit-and-miss. The ribbed skinny satin pants and pencil skirts evoked the strength of WonderWoman, while the vulgarly cut strapless numbers and overly sequined “dresses” look more apt for a Pole-Grazing Hero of the Night than an urban woman. Enough said.
A peak at Pat McDonagh’s fall collection. Credit: canada.com
The final show of the evening for me belonged to Pat McDonagh’s 40th anniversary collection. A staple in the Canadian fashion industry, McDonagh began her career during the boutique phenomena in the 1960’s and has won numerous award, including the American Legend fur award. Her fall show began with a segment entitled “Penguins”. There were sharp tuxedo suits and a show stopping gown featuring a black bodice and a high-waisted bell-shaped skirt with a penguin motif encircling the bottom. The focus on the environment was carried through into the other segments (Polar Reflections and Iceberg), with Melissa Etheridge’s “I Am Not an Island”, from Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth, playing overhead. And while some of the pieces were remarkably on-trend (the voluminous long-haired blue jackets) and breathtaking (the tiered strapless gown with blue gradation), I couldn’t ignore the obvious hypocrisy of the message. If you opt to make a show political, you open the floodgates to criticism. And showing so much fur, I question if she would have have cared as much about the penguins if they bore a mink-like pelt?
