Rita Liefhebber takes rogue fashion week to Ossington

Now, I missed the famed inside-a-truck Rita Liefhebber show last spring (heartbreak!), so I was determined to catch her fall/winter presentation this year. Off I traipsed to Jonathan & Olivia last night to check out the acclaimed young designer's newest Wang-style chic.

The models (many surprisingly short) slouched out to line up in front of one blazingly white wall--all the better to show off the carefully edited collection of silk shirts, sharp black trousers, and cuddly sweaters.

Liefhebber's style is casual, cool, and not-at-all-ostentatious. The colour palette was very subdued, with rich swirls of rose an an ombré shirt-dress, a tawny beige long-sleeved t-shirt dress, and plenty of black, black, black, from a dress-length pocketed vest to a stunning leather super-mini-dress (okay, okay, it may be a shirt, even though I'm forever scheming ways to wear things as a dress).

Carrying on the comfy theme we saw at Philip Sparks' Canadiana-themed collection earlier this week, there were super-soft big sweaters (in Rita-approved shades of dark green and pale brown) that begged to be paired with a roaring fireplace and a mug of hot chocolate, as well as lots of layering-appropriate pieces (all the better for staying warm and stylish at the same time).

A collection this cozy should make next winter that much easier to endure.

A special thanks to Peroni for sponsoring our coverage of Toronto Fashion Week.

Photos by Istoica