The tents were packed, and I opted out of attending Joe Fresh because it was already 9:30PM and I was sandwiched in between two people. Although I'm thin enough to squeeze my way out of a massive crowd, I must have lost some buttons on my jacket in the process. I headed towards the exit and began my journey towards Carte Blanche to check out Shadowplay - an event celebrating the unveiling of Pink Cobra's Spring/Summer 2010 collection.

Rocking a Lungta de Fancy dress (worn as a shirt) purchased at Carte Blanche, I approach the brightly lit store pumping with music courtesy of the Wamber DJs. Like last season's event (celebrating the launch of the Speech collection), this party was dripping with the stores' regular customers, friends, stylists, photographers, models, wanna-be socialites and the usual awkward straight string of Toronto hipsters, oh, and Mark the Cobra Snake, who was also at the Pink Tartan show earlier that night.

Black, leather and asymmetrical hair cuts were de rigueur. I came prepared. I took my time exploring the various floors, observing the crowd (which was eerily similar to the one from last season), and culminated my thoughts (or creative process as my friend calls it). Esther, the event publicist, told me to pay attention to the photographs on the wall because that's the collection. She stated the names of the selected influential members of the Toronto fashion and art community that formed their individual interpretation of the Pink Cobra brand through photographs like Kavin Wong, Hannah Sidder, Michael Mercanti, Justin Borbely, Karen Roze and many more.

I am a big fan of Carte Blanche and Pink Cobra. The pieces in the store are carefully curated and Pink Cobra designer Tania Martins' taste is nothing short of fantastic. Tania proves once again that she knows her stuff (doesn't pretend to know but knows, you know?) and that she is a trendsetter months ahead of everyone else. She's confident enough not to concern herself in the world of copy pasting other designers. Her creative vision helps Pink Cobra create season after season of strong looks, and the photographs that adorned the wall were no different. The SS10 collection is made for the powerful, sexy and androgynous woman. Think neo gothic, black (lots of it), and moodiness.

Although the Belvedere, Red Bull and Amsterdam ran out close to 11PM, the crowds were still on top of each other, swaying to the music, on the main floor, in the basement or in the backyard. I got there late so I must have missed the booklet, the screening of the film, and the tote bags. The live performances by Give Us The Daggers and Modern Superstitions were canceled due to the expected rain. I have no idea where they would've fit anyway.

Photos: Renata Kaveh