Jacquie Severs

I hit up Fashion Week - or what they want you to call it, "LG Fashion Week Presented by Loreal". Sponsors! Geez. I was hoping the Fortnight show would be runway, but it was Studio, which means it's just on mannequins. A lingerie show without models? What fun is that?

I had a bunch of fun as per usual and this time was pretty thrilled to find myself seated in the front row for DUY. Duy is a Montreal-based designer who was born in Vietnam. He's been designing his signature line since 2001 and his work is known for tailoring, unexpected details and innovative cuts.

The Spring-Summer 2011 line left a one-word impression with me: ethereal. Even the structured pieces, like a camel coloured trench were floaty and feminine and had incredible movement as the models walked.

You can check out the whole collection here.

In between shows you stand around a lot and drink wine. There is no source for food, though I did notice in the vip section there was some candy on the tables. I always find this funny, because while I know that fashion isn't exactly known for being pro-food, I find it funny that it is so much so that there isn't any available, at all. Like, NONE.

I also caught the Amanda Lew Kee show which was monochromatic for spring.

The models had bright blue lips though, which was the only shot of colour in this line that was structured and had interesting zipper details and cuts. Amanda Lew Kee is a very young designer, having only graduated from Ryerson's fashion school in 2010.  This was her debut at fashion week!

Lew Kee was invited to participate in an effort to bridge the gap between established brands and up-and-coming designers. Lew Kee is known for her leather jackets and rock-and-roll street styling, and of course that signature blue lipstick.

One thing from the presentation I thought was really innovative was her use of hosiery on footwear. I'm assuming since this was her debut finding footwear in the natural hues of her line proved difficult and expensive. Instead models wore their own heels and they slid their feet through opaque nude hosiery, letting the  heels poke out the back. The result was a uniform footwear look that would be easy to knock-off. It creates an unique bootie-slash-sock effect.

Read more about Lew Kee's rapid rise to fame here.



I skipped the next show to have my hair made into a huge bouffant courtesy of the on-site Loreal stylists. I know, I should have gone but I really wanted one! So I waited on the sofa with a glass of wine instead of scrambling to get in.

This is the result:
So awesome! I had two people approach me afterwards and tell me I looked like Joan Holloway from Madmen which is a pretty stellar compliment in my books. It felt great too - so secure on  my head. It felt great until I tried to sleep on it (knowing it would last until the next day). I don't know how women do it, but I can't sleep on 100 bobby pins, I just can't. So I have a lion's mane crazy rats-nest today, which I think was worth it. I'll deep condition it!




I learned that to make my hair big, which is something I'm always trying to do, backcombing is the only way I'll succeed. She also said I'll need to "spray the shit" out of it, using the craziest-gluey-est hair spray I can find.

She used the Studio Line "Indestructible" spray.

Also after my hair was done I had someone from the Stephen Lewis Foundation approach me and ask me for a picture. Which is a testament to it's awesomness. They were there because the final show was a fundraiser for the organization, which raises money for grassroots, community organizaions who work to  stop the spread of HIV, and improve the lives of those affected by HIV in Africa.

We weren't able to get seats for that show so we were watching from the soundbooth, which was a fun perspective too. Celebrities walked in designs made of African fabrics created by designers who participated in Fashion Week. I found it intresting but I found for some reason watching the sound guys do their thing with all the switches and panels more interesting.



What fun! Now I'm going to go and see if I can't wash these knots out of my hair. I think the Children's detangling spray "no more tears" might be getting a spin today.