TONIGHT AT THE FULLUM & HOLT FULLUM STREET SEWING ROOM, DENIS GAGNON PRESENTED HIS FALL/WINTER 09 WOMEN’S COLLECTION, INCLUDING NEW DESIGNS FOR THE MONTREAL-BASED LEATHER GOODS COMPANY. THE ROOM WAS OVERFLOWING, WITH THE CITY’S FASHION CRÈME DE LA CRÈME, AND YOURS TRULY, PACKED INTO EVERY CORNER POSSIBLE.
THE INDUSTRIAL SPACE WAS NOT, AT FIRST, AN OBVIOUS CHOICE FOR THE SHOW, WITH A PAINTED RUNWAY FLANKED BY SEWING MACHINES. BUT ONCE THE LIGHTS DIMMED AND THE LOOKS STARTED DOWN THE RUNWAY, I COULDN'T ENVISIONED ANY OTHER SETING. VOID MODELS, INCLUDING GIRL-DU-JOUR RYAN MARTEL, FLOATED TO SWELLING OPERA AND CHORAL RENDITIONS OF DEPECHE MODE AS SPUN BY FASHION WEEK ALUM CHRISTIAN PRONOVOST.
SPRING 09, AVAILABLE ONLINE NOW, MARKED THE BEGINNINGS OF THE COLLABORATION. FOR FALL/WINTER, IT WAS MUCH OF THE SAME BUT WITH A DARKER COLOR PALETTE. THIS SEASON, THE STANDOUT COLOR WAS, HANDS DOWN, A RICH LIPSTICK RED.
THE COLLECTION WAS MONOCHROMATIC BLACK, DOMINATED BY MATTE LEATHER PIECES WITH STITCHED DETAILING LAYERED OVER SEQUINED, FISH-SKIN LIKE LEGGINGS. HEADS WERE ADORNED WITH HANGING BEADED DETAILING ON FITTED HOODS. THE BEADING WAS REPEATED THROUGHOUT THE COLLECTION, FOUND ON EVERYTHING FROM SHOES TO LAPELS. HAIR THAT WASN’T TUCK INTO HOODS WAS TEASED INTO FAUX-BOBS. STARK FACES WITH LIPS AND EYES PAINTED SKIN TONES WERE FRAMED BY STRONG EYE BROWS. THE SHOW ENDED TO CHEERS AND A WELL DESERVED STANDING OVATION.
ALTHOUGH ARGUABLY NOT GAGNON’S BEST COLLECTION TO DATE, IT WAS, WITHOUT QUESTION, THE STRONGEST OF THE WEEK. BOLD, EDGY, STRONG, IT WAS EVERYTHING THAT YOU WOULD COME TO EXPECT FROM THE DESIGNER. IT’S NO WONDER THAT HE HAS BECOME ONE OF THE CITY’S MOST BELOVED AND ANXIOUSLY-AWAITED DESIGNERS. GAGNON PROVED THE HE CAN STAND ON ANY WORLD STAGE.
I ALSO HAD THE PLEASURE OF ATTENDING THE TELIO DESIGN COMPETITION, WHERE 25 FASHION STUDENTS FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY PRESENTED LOOKS. I AM PLEASED TO REPORT THAT A LASALLE COLLEGE STUDENT TOOK THE TOP PRIZE.
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