A model bares it all (almost) at the Hanes show. Photo: canada.com
Because of school commitments, my Wednesday at the Liberty Grand didn’t start until 4:00 in the afternoon. The first show was Hanes, which was… well, as you might expect…bras and underwear. I say that with eager eyes, honestly. That said, to write a review of the sparse, and rather utilitarian-by-nature clothing (I’m a guy, remember), would be unfair, since most of the audience was too focused on the vast expanses of skin to jot anything remotely intelligent down (I included). To be completely honest, it’s not the type of show that suggests a runway presentation, except for having the audacity to be the only show of the week to showcase a singular Liv Tyler-looking plus-sized model. It was an opinion validated by the media kit, which, while beautiful, looked more like a retail catalogue than a listing of the show’s details.
The McQueen of the Canadian fashion scene? Lucian Matis. Photo: canoe.ca
Dissimilar to the sequence one logically expects, following the skin and sex came the influx of romance - thanks to what some are calling the “Roman-Canadian bad boy of design” Lucian Matis. Titled “La Douce Absynthe”, the program notes said the 34-piece collection by the Ryerson grad was a “fusion between French history and the ultra Japanese modernism.” The French history? Stiff, ruffled boleros mixed with high-waisted skirts and crinolines of Marie Antoinette-proportions. The Japanese modernism? Kimono sleeves, rich textiles, and a diaphanous, oversized sweater jacket. At times, the styling felt unnecessarily heavy, but it was exciting see a talented Romantic we could finally call our own. 
Two looks for Rudsak fall/winter 2007. Photo: Canada.com
A sweeping gown at Andy The-Anh. Photo: Canada.com
After bringing sexy back at his spring show, Andy The-Anh brought mystery back for fall 2007. His hooded, inky-coloured glamazons emerged from a thick smoke like a well-outfitted gang. There were hooded jersey dresses, Proenza-friendly boned gowns, and skinny satins pants. Less convincing were the ruched-to-the-max numbers and the flippy wooly minis, which looked out-of-place in both this collection and 2007.
Poetic refinement at David Dixon’s outdoor show. Photo: canada.com
Mackage’s show was mundane, and a repeat of the same styles they have in stores right now, while Rudsak has taken over the outerwear domain, and made it their own. Mackage is last year’s cool, Rudsak is always cool. There is no comparison…