BizBash Toronto
BizBash Toronto
   ADVERTISE   |  FEEDBACK  |   SUBSCRIBE   |   ABOUT US  |  RSS
EVENT REPORT   04.25.08 5:54 PM PRINT | SEND TO A FRIEND |
Pretty in Pink
Elle Canada and the Toronto Fashion Incubator used the opening night of their new consumer show to host a gala dinner and the annual New Labels competition.
Creating an event to showcase Elle Canada while supporting local up-and-coming designers has been on Jacqueline Howe's mind for some time. Yesterday, the vice president of Transcontinental Media and publisher of Elle Canada realized her idea come to life at the first Elle Canada New Labels gala to support the Toronto Fashion Incubator (T.F.I.) at the Direct Energy Centre. “It’s been a seed planted in the back of my mind for about two years, but we didn’t get the final approval [from the Elle offices in France] until September," Howe said of the process that led to the creation of the Elle show, a three-day fashion and beauty show that runs through Sunday.

The magazine has long been a supporter of T.F.I.'s New Labels competition and runway show. "We had been a partner and sponsor with them for the past five years, so last year, after the 20th anniversary event, we talked to [T.F.I. executive director] Susan Langdon and told her what our concept and idea was and that we would like to do an opening night that would be a fund-raiser for T.F.I. and host that competition that we’d been involved with,” Howe said. “She took it to the board and they said, ‘Love it. It’s great.’ And so we started.”
CONTINUED >

PHOTO GALLERY

Fashions from winners adorned the Elle main stage. - Photo: BizBash
Fashions from winners adorned the Elle main stage.
Photo: BizBash
Models walked an elevated white runway during the New Labels competition. - Photo: BizBash
Models walked an elevated white runway during the New Labels competition.
Photo: BizBash
Menu cards marked each place setting at the V.I.P. dinner in the lobby of the Direct Energy Centre. - Photo: BizBash
Menu cards marked each place setting at the V.I.P. dinner in the lobby of the Direct Energy Centre.
Photo: BizBash
Servers offered shot glasses of chilled pea and mint soup at one of the food stations set up for the cocktail reception. - Photo: BizBash
Servers offered shot glasses of chilled pea and mint soup at one of the food stations set up for the cocktail reception.
Photo: BizBash
Exhibitors at the three-day consumer show included Elle magazine. - Photo: BizBash
Exhibitors at the three-day consumer show included Elle magazine.
Photo: BizBash
Erin McLaughlin of Canadian Home and Country created centrepieces using fuchsia hat boxes filled with white roses, pink tulips, and a designer Wedgwood item, such as this Jasper Conran teacup and saucer. - Photo: BizBash
Erin McLaughlin of Canadian Home and Country created centrepieces using fuchsia hat boxes filled with white roses, pink tulips, and a designer Wedgwood item, such as this Jasper Conran teacup and saucer.
Photo: BizBash
Oversize magazine covers adorned a wall near the entrance to the show. - Photo: BizBash
Oversize magazine covers adorned a wall near the entrance to the show.
Photo: BizBash
Chair Decor dressed the dining room in white and fuchsia, based on the ad campaign for the show. - Photo: BizBash
Chair Decor dressed the dining room in white and fuchsia, based on the ad campaign for the show.
Photo: BizBash
 
Elle Canada New Labels Gala

Audiovisual Production Westbury National Show Systems
Catering, Staffing Centerplate Catering
Decor Chair Decor
PR Faulhaber PR
PR OverCat Communications
Runway Show Production The Idea Shop
Venue Direct Energy Centre

Last night's gala kicked off the magazine's three-day consumer show. The evening included a V.I.P. cocktail reception, held on the show floor, followed by a dinner for 250 guests in the galleria lobby, and the runway show, produced by the Idea Shop. Howe reported that the show’s ad campaign inspired the decor for the evening. “Denis Desro shot a girl on the run in a beautiful fuchsia pink raincoat, so we decided that was going to be our image that was promoting the Elle show, and we started to build out the entire show decor,” she said.

Erin McLaughlin of Canadian Home & Country (also published by Transcontinental Media) created the centrepieces: fuchsia hat boxes filled with white roses and pink tulips. Each arrangement featured a designer item—including a posy vase by Marc Jacobs, crystal martini glasses by Vera Wang, teacups and saucers by Jasper Conran, and a four-inch vase by Gianni Versace—from the Wedgwood Company. Chair Decor dressed the tables in white linens and covered the chairs in white fabric accented with a fuchsia band.

Centerplate Catering prepared the food for the cocktail reception, held on the show floor, and the gala dinner. The menu included a grilled maple pear, oven-roasted cherry tomato, and caramelized walnuts served on baby arugula followed by chicken with a citrus-thyme glaze, Yukon gold and sweet potato duchess, and baby bok choy and snipped carrots. Guest dined on a molten chocolate lava cake with minted crème anglaise for dessert.

The New Labels competition, which celebrated its 16th anniversary yesterday, featured the work of designers Lara Presber, Eugenia Leavitt, Adrienne Butikofer, and Ashley Rowe. A panel of five judges awarded the Elle Canada New Labels fashion award—including $25,000 and a spread in the magazine—to Leavitt in recognition of her collection of cocktail dresses. Event sponsors included Nine West, Rowenta, Triumph Vin de Pays d'Oc, and Movado.

  —Susan O'Neill
RELATED TOPICS Elle Canada, Toronto Fashion Incubator, Nine West, Rowenta, Triumph, Vin de Pays d'Oc, Movado, Canadian Home & Country, Transcontinental Media

MORE EVENT REPORT STORIES
Audi Unveils Sports Car and Magazine in Downtown Parking Lot
Cisco Caps Three-Day Partner Summit With Executives-Only Rock 'n Roll Gala
Mondavi Builds Replica of Napa Vineyard for Tasting at Nathan Phillips Square
Freed Developments Reveals Designer Partnerships at Fashion House Cocktail Party
Law Firm Hosts Rooftop Fashion Show for Bank Executives

MORE STORIES ABOUT ELLE CANADA
Elle Canada Revamps Consumer Show and Presents Seminars, Runway Shows Prior to New Labels Gala
Toronto's Top Fashion Events 2008
MORE STORIES ABOUT ROWENTA
Fashion Week Tent Adopts an LG-Inspired Look For Fall Shows
Night of Stars Pays Tribute to Honourees With Personal Vignettes
Models Double as Graffiti Artists at Kidrobot Show

More Suppliers/Venues to Consider ADVERTISEMENT
Direct Energy Centre
Home of the BizBash.TO Event Style Show since 2005, Direct Energy Centre is the largest event and convention facility in Canada with more than one million square feet of space. Offering extraordinary flexibility, the facility can be subdivided into nine event spaces plus Ricoh Coliseum, and it provides more than 7,000 parking spaces. More >>

EMAIL THIS RESOURCE
Rose Brand/Technically Yours Inc. (TYI)
For more than 20 years, TYI has represented established, industry-leading product lines to the film, television, theatre, and special events industries. TYI is the exclusive Canadian representative for Rose Brand. More >>

EMAIL THIS RESOURCE
Snapshot Photobooth, powered by Flow Photo
Instantly capture the fun of your event and unleash your creativity with the Snapshot Photobooth—a fully automated, unique, interactive photobooth experience your guests will love!

Guests fill the frame, pose, click, and leave with a branded print available in 4 x 6 , 5 x 7 or vintage-style 2 x 6 strips with four poses in either colour or black-and-white. More >>

EMAIL THIS RESOURCE

 
Search Our Venue Directory








MOST POPULAR STORIES
1. Mondavi Builds Replica of Napa Vineyard for Tasting at Nathan Phillips Square
2. Freed Developments Reveals Designer Partnerships at Fashion House Cocktail Party
3. Audi Unveils Sports Car and Magazine in Downtown Parking Lot
4. Cisco Caps Three-Day Partner Summit With Executives-Only Rock 'n Roll Gala
5. Cheese Boutique, Art Gallery Open in Joint Space at the Distillery District
6. Spanish Eatery to Launch Cooking Classes
7. Proving Your Worth: How to Avoid Getting the Boot—and Fight It If You Do
8. How Can You Make a Trade Show Booth Eco-Friendly?
9. Proving Your Worth: 5 Discussion Points to Make the Case for In-House Event Jobs
10. Proving Your Worth: The Example