It is packed in Boutique Le Trou. I can't even recognize the place, it's an empty white space now. Seats run the length of the store and edge the runway that runs down the middle. I'm right up close, perfect for seeing the details. The energy in the room is warm and friendly; something you don't see often at a fashion show. I'm psyched for a great show. There aren't many menswear designers who show so I this is my first one.

Now begins the search for my seat and I delve into the crowd. As I bounced through the crowd, I bumped into tfbbers and friends, Adrian - Fashion Verbatim, Tommy Ton - photographer, Sonja Andic - Toronto Street Fashion, Susan Langdon - TFI, Natalie Lecomte - Holt Renfrew. It's nice to arrive somewhere and not be alone, in the corner, drinking and weeping. My seat is close to the beginning of the runway where the models appear and vanish. I chatted with Crystal from Pop Design Hair Studio, who sat beside me, about the Smudgepot Cosmetics samples that were in the gift bag. I remembered that I had covered the studio and Smudgepot before but it really needs a good follow up report.

The show consisted of 12 looks influenced by 1850s and 1950s, military uniforms and classic Hollywood. It only took the first look for me to be a fan. I loved the grey wool peat coat and began to wonder if I could fit into a men's small. Maybe they made extra small, hell he is a tailor maybe I can get one made. Scheming a way to fulfill my military-fetish desires. There were many great jackets and my other standout pieces included a grey velvet dinner jacket, a fitted silver metallic leather jacket, super warm looking grey wool, woven cable knit trench coat. I swooned at the second to last look, it was a black wool tailcoat with wool trousers and a white military detail shirt. Pants followed the classic black and grey palette. Variations of styles included pigment dyed canvas jeans, wool trousers, pigment dyed canvas riding pant and wool herringbone high-waisted pants. The show was beautiful and the quality of the work was blatantly obvious. Many of us discussed talked afterwards about all the fine details on the back of the jackets that were just perfect.

I did some guerrilla film making with my digital camera and have posted those clips on youtube. They are short and usually will be of the final pass of models at the end of the show.

Final Pass of the Models

Runway clip

Fashion week has been crazy, look for more reviews.

images: philipsparks.com