hope you can make it!!!:

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PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Scarlet Sirens, Dazzling Dames & Hedonistic Headdresses

Roar with 1920s Glamour and Grit

Asphyxia Presents BEAUTIFUL & DAMNED at FAT 2014 Arts & Fashion Week

FAT 2014 roars to life with powerfully seductive 1920s excess as Asphyxia presents her newest collection, which takes as its inspiration the era in which fashion and womens roles catapulted into modern times.

BEAUTIFUL & DAMNED spotlights scarlet sirens, dazzling dames and hedonistic headdresses, featuring new heights of glamour and grit combined.

Intricate salvaged beadwork dances, exotic live flowers and plumage abound and silks slink in deep emerald and ruby jewel tones set alight by metallic gold and silver and anchored by deepest midnight black.

Its a tribute to the frantic pace of progress and its price. Far beyond the familiar flapper, expect references to exotic travel, vice, new technology and industrialization.

The collection delivers Asphyxias trademark gowns and epic accessories, combining luxurious fabrics with reclaimed reminiscences and industrial touches that bring another era to life with edgy modern attitude.

And as dazzled as youll be by the artistry of her innovative fashion, dont forget that Asphyxias brand of bad-ass femininity and punk goth power always guarantees that her runway show is a full performance-art experience. You wont want to miss it.

About Asphyxia

Asphyxia http://www.asphyxiadesigns.com/ is Alexandra De Francesco, a fashion designer and textile artist. A graduate of OCAD, De Francesco creates spectacular wearable art couture, which also incorporates her flair for floral design. Asphyxias work has been called bad-ass femininity, dark and daring, pin-up dominatrix chic, punk goth power, and bordello in hell. Her most recent collection, BLUSH & ALABASTER was a spectacular tribute to Marie Antoinette and her Milliner-Dressmaker, and was presented at FAT 2013. Asphyxia has exhibited at the Textile Museum of Canada, The Gladstone Hotel and Gallery X, her work has been featured in Auxiliary Magazine, and she has been a featured designer in Darkvanity and OCAD's Tour De Force, among other shows. Asphyxia has presented collections yearly at FAT since 2008. Regular attendees know her not just for her fashion, but also for her magnificent and heart-stopping performance art finales.

This collection will be paired with gorgeous jewellery by Kathryn Shura of Curious Oddities:

Kat Shura of Curious Oddities was born in a century-old log cabin in the wilds of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Surrounded by a community rich with artifacts of the early pioneers and settlers, she grew to have the heart of a dreamer and the spirit of an explorer. Her inquisitive nature has led her to learn many different crafts and trades, absorbing new techniques and inspiration every step of the way.

With her vivid imagination, Kat sees a story in everything and seeks to unveil the magic in all she touches.

Her current collection is heavily influenced by the designs of the Art Nouveau Era, in which whimsy and elegance were paired with fine workmanship, quality materials and exquisite detailing. Featured is a wide variety of vintage, salvaged treasures, Czech glass, cloisonn enamel, premium quality, traditionally pressed, oxidized and plated brass.

http://www.curiousoddities.ca

VENUE:

Daniels Spectrum, 585 Dundas Street East

TICKETS:

$35 in advance available at http://fashionarttoronto.ca/buy-tickets/ $45 @ the door

$30 Student available @ the door w/valid ID

$100 Full Week Pass Art Exhibit Free