It's the first official day of L'Oreal Fashion Week at the Liberty Grand. I had a minor panic attack on my travels to the venue. I thought it was in the same location as last year. I glanced at the address details and only the Exhibition Place stuck in my mind. I assumed it was Muzik and we all know what happens when you do that. I walked up to the Muzik building and began panicking. It wasn't busy, in fact it was dead. Where is this place, I thought. I looked at my media pass, maybe there would be an address on it. Liberty Grand was the only clue it provided. Where the hell is the Liberty Grand, I lamented. It was time to make a call and get some help. My friend was kind enough to google it and point me in the right direction after he finished laughing. I wasn't far away and headed south to the Liberty Grand.

The media swag bag was meatier this year. It's too bad that I can't really use a lot of the stuff in it. I got a hair straightener, which I would have loved 10 years ago, when I still had hair. The gel is equally useless to me. I always love the mascara they include, but the other beauty products are never for my skin tone. I did enjoy the Steppies, chocolate and Foxy earrings.

I've learned to avoid people with lists this year. The lists are never up to date and it just causes more problems. Flash your press pass and find your assigned seat. Don't make the mistake of talking to someone, it will just slow you down. The blogTO seats were at the end of the runway close to the photographers' pit. I hear the pit is a civil place in Toronto and the scaffolding doesn't fall over, so I think it's a good gig for a photographer.

Boutique Le Trou...a retail piece, kicked off the night. The crowd was sluggish and an impatient hum resonated throughout the room. The show featured labels Jason Matlo, Karamea, Nada, Cristina Darling, Marie Saint Pierre and Jason Meyers, all of which are carried in Boutique Le Trou. The looks were formal and there was a solitary tuxedo pant suit. Styles ranged from conservative and black to bright and racy. The racy side featured a pink leopard halter dress and magenta mermaid halter dress in velvet with extreme ruching up the front. I didn't like the racy side too much. I hate animal prints for the most part while I find it's tolerable on shoes and certain handbags. I like velvet in pants, jackets, capes and cowls. If those criteria are not met, I'm not going to like it. I love Marie Saint Pierre and her pieces resonated with me the most. Pleated and crinkled fabrics are important details in her collections and contribute to a design aesthetic that one associates with the label.

This picture of Marlene Shiff, Boutique Le Trou's owner, is priceless. I love the look on her face. She looks so happy and isn't pulling this cooler than thou fashion bullshit. The final walk wasn't really filmable and I was only able to capture Marlene taking a bow.

You can view pictures from the show at my flickr page, the official site and Wire Images.

image: www.lorealfashionweek.ca