When Lucian Matis—winner of the Fashion Design Council of Canada's first-ever F.D.C.C. Designer Development Fund—presented his spring 2010 collection on the final day of LG Fashion Week, he opened the show with a model dressed in a long watercolour clown-print dress. Following his lead, event firm Candice&Alison created a circus-inspired vibe for the designer's after-party, which drew a crowd of 300 to Oasi Restaurant on Friday night.
"Lucian's look is very artisan and couture. It's a bit avant-garde. So the venue we chose has Baroque decor but is very modern and edgy," said Candice Chan. "We took the circus theme and made it very opulent."
Chan and her design partner, Alison Slight, used red, orange, and purple ribbons to dress the space and called on pastry chef Nadège Nourian of Nadège Patisserie to create a five-foot-tall dessert sculpture topped with a globe of handmade marshmallows in flavours like gin and tonic.
Cast bronze artworks by Gabrielle Hovarth and a photography exhibit by Arline Malakian, Matis’s associate director and collaborator, filled the space. DJ Vaneska spun tunes for guests, and Femmes du Feu presented an aerial performance on red silk suspended from the 17-foot-high ceilings. A flame performance, planned for outside the venue, was canceled due to rain.
Beverage sponsor Diageo provided Los Arboles Malbec and Chardonnay wine for the event, catered by Oasi.