The tents in Nathan Phillips Square
Photo: BizBash
L’Oréal Fashion Week made its debut in Nathan Phillips Square last October, but visitors attending this week's fall 2008 shows still appear to be excited about the centralized location. For most shows so far (especially the evening collections), the lineups span the entire front room, and things get cozy in the three separate queuing areas. We asked members of the crowd for their overall impression of the tent setup and the atmosphere inside.
“I think it’s a total boost for both Fashion Week and the city at large. Just seeing the image of the tents against the backdrop of these iconic towers really drives home the message that Fashion Week has been adopted by Toronto and Toronto has adopted Fashion Week.”
—Shinan Govani, society columnist for The National Post
“I love it. I think it really gives it that New York sort of feel and it just looks so professional.”
—Wayne Clark, Canadian fashion designer“This is the best thing that ever happened. This is what it should be about. The energy is great. It has its own energy; we create it. It’s not a building that has an energy from before, so it’s pretty damn cool to see this happen here. All of these people come together and they create the energy rather than the energy being the Carlu or the Liberty Grand or whatever. And it’s in the middle of Toronto. Does it get any better? No."
—Brian Bailey, Canadian fashion designer and Project Runway Canada mentor
“I didn’t come last time, and I thought it was going to be a little cold. I wasn’t sure, but it’s nice. It’s good. I think the way they set it up is really nice.”
—Ashley, Flare intern
“I think it’s amazing. I love the chandelier. I love the excitement of it all. It makes us all feel like we’re movie stars. The decor is beautiful, very classy."
—Lois Ferguson, dietician
"It's pretty well organized this year. I wasn't here last year, but the year before was a little bit of a mishmash. It's a cool setup, but I'm not blown away by it."
—Lisa, musician
"I was here last night, and it was just nice because nobody [in the tents] was mean. It's good overall."
—Allegra, student
"It's the first time I've come to the tents because I skipped it last year. But it's much better than when it was down at the Ex, because it just felt out of touch there. With it being in the heart of the city, I think it makes a lot more sense. There's good energy; there's a good vibe."
—Laura, Web site producer
“I think it’s a total boost for both Fashion Week and the city at large. Just seeing the image of the tents against the backdrop of these iconic towers really drives home the message that Fashion Week has been adopted by Toronto and Toronto has adopted Fashion Week.”
—Shinan Govani, society columnist for The National Post
“I love it. I think it really gives it that New York sort of feel and it just looks so professional.”
—Wayne Clark, Canadian fashion designer“This is the best thing that ever happened. This is what it should be about. The energy is great. It has its own energy; we create it. It’s not a building that has an energy from before, so it’s pretty damn cool to see this happen here. All of these people come together and they create the energy rather than the energy being the Carlu or the Liberty Grand or whatever. And it’s in the middle of Toronto. Does it get any better? No."
—Brian Bailey, Canadian fashion designer and Project Runway Canada mentor
“I didn’t come last time, and I thought it was going to be a little cold. I wasn’t sure, but it’s nice. It’s good. I think the way they set it up is really nice.”
—Ashley, Flare intern
“I think it’s amazing. I love the chandelier. I love the excitement of it all. It makes us all feel like we’re movie stars. The decor is beautiful, very classy."
—Lois Ferguson, dietician
"It's pretty well organized this year. I wasn't here last year, but the year before was a little bit of a mishmash. It's a cool setup, but I'm not blown away by it."
—Lisa, musician
"I was here last night, and it was just nice because nobody [in the tents] was mean. It's good overall."
—Allegra, student
"It's the first time I've come to the tents because I skipped it last year. But it's much better than when it was down at the Ex, because it just felt out of touch there. With it being in the heart of the city, I think it makes a lot more sense. There's good energy; there's a good vibe."
—Laura, Web site producer
