The Fashion Design Council of Canada kicked off LG Fashion Week with four events Monday, including the first-ever runway show in Frank Gehry's Walker Court at the Art Gallery of Ontario and an opening night gala that showcased event sponsors LG Electronics Canada and L'Oréal Paris, and a partnership with the Stratford Shakespeare Festival.
Fashion Week's 21st consecutive season got under way with an afternoon show at AGO featuring the spring 2010 collection from VAWK by designer Sunny Fong, who won season two of Project Runway Canada. In addition to the 200 fashion media in attendance, fans of Fong were invited to line up at the gallery for a first-come first-serve standing spot to view the collection, which was inspired by French Polynesia and titled Tatto Hibiscus. Fong's show was also streamed live on his Web site—a first for LG Fashion Week.
Prior to LG Fashion Week's opening night gala, Holt Renfrew invited the fashion press to its biannual opening night cocktail reception at the Bloor Street store. Servers passed hors d'oeuvres created by Holt's Café executive chef Corbin Tomaszeski and F.D.C.C. president Robin Kay welcomed guests to the event, held on the third floor of the store. Seven of Holt Renfrew's Canadian designers, including Pink Tartan and Lida Baday, presented highlights of their spring 2010 collections during the reception.
LG Electronics Canada hosted the first event—dubbed Cinematic Style—inside Fashion Week's new home on King Street West on Monday night. The company launched the new LG SL80 television and debuted select submissions from the LG Life's Good Film Festival at the LG booth in the Fashion Environment.
Beauty sponsor L'Oréal Paris opened the Wear Love Alive gala with a retrospective look at the company's 100-year history. Models dressed by designer Farley Chatto walked the runway in fashions—and hair and makeup looks by Eddie Maleterre and Eric Del Monaco of the L'Oréal Paris beauty team—representing each of the past 10 decades.
For the main event, the F.D.C.C. partnered with the Stratford Shakespeare Festival to present Fashion meets Festival—a runway show featuring period costumes from Stratford productions like Elizabeth Rex and Amadeus and modern interpretations from designers Nada, David Dixon, Ross Mayer, and Gotstyle.
