I was excited upon entering the Bustle show when I saw props perched at either end of the usually-bare runway. Props! Sleds, in fact, of the variety typically pulled by a team of huskies. They promised a show that would be unconventional and fun. It began with a black-and-white short featuring a dude driving a Landrover and sledding with dogs. A completely pointless video, it did less to establish a mood than the static runway props. Fake snow pumped from the ceiling, but was too sparse to be impactful and the barking dog sounds were only a track. My hopes were already being dashed.

I wanted actual dogs. Or at the very least, some winter gear worthy of sled-dogs and the elements. None of the models seemed bundled enough to run to the convenience store for milk let alone engage in winter sports. The attempt was fun, but no one was smiling (with the exception of cameo-models Aliya-Jasmine Sovani and Wilder Weir). Cognac and axes seemed like afterthoughts. The theme was by now entirely lost on me.

Bustle showed on the first night of LG Fashion Week to a packed house, with aggressive anthems serving as a soundtrack from Die Mannequin, a band that overwhelmed the space with obnoxious noise pollution.

Who better to bring Toronto Fashion Week to a close than Toronto's very own Bustle? Designers Shawn Hewson and Ruth Promislow finished the season to a packed house of those hungry for the usual tongue-in-cheek tomfoolery of Bustle's runway shows.

The stage was set with Canadian personalities Jeanne Beker and Rick Mercer, as well as designer Evan Biddell and model Stacey McKenzie, dressed in their very best party outfits, taking a seat at the foot of the runway for the duration of the presentation. Fun!

Bustle, like David Dixon, is always packed. The collections are both average and nothing out of the ordinary, so I've concluded that it's merely a popularity contest. This season, like the last, the alcohol sponsorship was front and centre with appearances by Belvedere and Peroni. The runway was converted into a mock beach scene, which reminded everyone of the summer that never came, or the ones they spent at the Hamptons, er, Muskoka.

Fashion Week isn't only about women's fashion. Bustle took to the runway yesterday (video here) to showcase their Fall 2009 menswear lineup. And the gigantic mug of beer made it crystal clear that this one was all about the dudes.

More videos on blogTO's Toronto Fashion Week Vimeo Channel.

Or, view the video on YouTube.