BACKSTAGE ADVENTURES AT THE COMRAGS SHOW

Backstage at LG Fashion Week in Toronto persisted to be a flurry of doll-faced models, scurrying stylists, and avid photographers churned into one colossal whir of fashion energy. Allow me to take you into my journey backstage Comrags, and then into the very heart of the show from the front row. Prepare to be mentally enchanted, and fall hopelessly in lust with fall.

Following my interview with Gaudet earlier in the day, I ran into a familiar face backstage, a friend of mine, Elise Helene Gatschene. Elise and I go way back, having danced together for three years when we were younger. Now, tall and gorgeous as she was, Elise was preparing to walk the Comrags runway (which I later proudly saw her open) and was awaiting maquillage and to have her fiery red locks tamed by the L’Oréal Beauty Team backstage. I joined her in the model waiting area, feeling like a feverish child at a walk-in clinic awaiting my name to be called by the nurse. To both sides lay tables carpeted with healthy snacks and coffee machines, neither which I found myself able to nip from as they were strictly for stylists. At the very back of the tent we sat, the models and I, joking together and making light and friendly conversation. Although many tend to be intimidated by them, these darling models were cordial and companionable, and after a few minutes I had realized just how much I was enjoying myself. Elise introduced me to a few of the other girls, many being from her agency at Elmer Olsen Model Management, and soon enough I knew all the girls by name.

After what felt like an hour, Elise was called upon by a handsome stylist to have her hair started on for the show. She beckoned for me to follow and I came and stood next to her to watch intently. The sociable stylist, Alex, flashed me a congenial smile and pulled out the next chair over for me to sit in. Such a gentleman. Beaming, I took a seat and dove into a lengthy, enthralling chat with Alex who had me completely captivated in his stories. Clearly it was natural for him, he continued to chat animatedly, filling me in on the details of his life as a stylist. Enraptured, I scribbled furiously into my notepad, making a mental note to do a piece on it later. Distracted for a moment by a loud ruckus across the table, I glanced up from my notepad, observing the small group of stylists who had crowded around a timid-looking model and the head stylist, Eddie. Curious, I asked Alex what it was that they were doing. Evidently pleased at the interest in his expertise, he explained that each show had their specific way of styling, and that beforehand there is always a demonstration to ensure that it is being done exactly as requested by the designers (who were, as Alex pointed out, standing in the inner circle). Now on my feet and craning my neck, I wandered over to the circle, interested in what they were saying. I stood timidly next to the two marvelous masterminds behind Comrags, who seemed to be deep in thought while analyzing the look of the model before them. Eyebrows furrowed and pressed together, they were clearly put out by something. Listening carefully, (though with them next to me it was not hard) I overheard them fretting about whether or not the hairstyle was good enough, whether or not it would be liked. Taking my chances, I bravely put my two cents in, leaning over and whispering that I thought it looked absolutely incredible, and looked exactly how they had planned for it to. They ogled me for a moment, scrutinizing my words, then relaxed when they realized my sincerity, that I had meant it.

“Do you really think the hair is alright?” one of them asked me, “It’s not too much then?”
“Of course not!” I replied, “Honestly, I think it looks down-to-earth and pretty cool.”

After all, the look they had in mind was spectacular and I knew the crowds outside would whole-heartedly agree. They looked at each other and shrugged, relaxing. Overjoyed that I had just comforted two designers whom I absolutely adored, my stomach flocked with tiny butterflies. Curious appetite whetted, I turned back to where Elise sat patiently, focused intently on her iPhone, texting (or should I say tapping?) away. She looked up as I snapped some shots of her current hairstyle-in-the-works, making attitudinizing faces at me with her beautiful features, chiseled-to-perfection. Elise looked absolutely ablaze as her fiery red hair was being manipulated into what the stylists called “a lovely mess”. A beautiful disaster, I thought to myself as I recorded a clip for my media library, brilliant.

At twenty-past-five, models scrambled to get backstage as the Director of Hair and Makeup, Phillipe, ushered them gingerly out of their seats and into the backstage area directly behind the runway set. Comrags was scheduled to start in a mere ten minutes!

“Ze models ‘only ‘ave ten minutes, please ‘urry with zem!” he cried out to his team of hair and makeup professionals, in the darling French-Canadian accent that I loved.

The remaining models stood up and scurried where their names were posted on the clothing racks, delicately guarding their finished hair with their hands by their heads. I followed, documenting it all in my notepad with a smile playing across my lips. The backstage adventure was just about over, but now it was time for the real thing.

Gaudet: Fashion Flowering Down The Runway

With each frolicksome footstep that made its way down the Gaudet runway, flowers swept the eyes of the audience as spring vividly exploded into the fashion world. With fresh, young models as alive as the season itself, the show captured the very essence of the budtime bloom rooted deeper than the reaching limbs of any tree in Nathan Phillip's Square. This season, Gaudet captured the playfulness, purity, and joie de vivre that wordlessly describe the bird-singing, tulip-blooming spirit of spring with their gloriously designed line of coats.

From outfit one to thirty-three, every look was completed with fine jewelry, ravishing scarves, and elegant belts. The feet of the models were adorned with shiny, black leather pumps, acorn-colored boots, and more footwear of the widest variety sponsored by Town Shoes. It was evident that the Gaudet designers, Norman and Gio Gaudet, were singing the May Queen's praises as they designed coats in shades of purples, greens, blues, yellows, beiges, and browns. With flowery patterns and garden influence plentifully bestrewn into the dazzling designs, I wondered to myself where the two Gaudet gentlemen retrieved their inspiration from, and why they chose outerwear as the main focus for the exquisite show. After writing both questions into my notepad, I tucked it away and snapped a few shots of Sutherland model Drea Vujovic as she struts by me in a green sunflower coat with a white sundress peeking out from underneath. As the thirty-third model saunters by in a gorgeous wedding gown topped with Gaudet's off-white lace coat with a tulle bottom, it becomes lavishly clear that spring has very much indeed sprung.

Backstage, I talk to Gaudet's PR girl to get a word in with Norman and Gio. As I patiently await my turn for an interview, I lounge about with some of the models from the show to take a few pictures. The girls are absolutely charming, and I recognize many of them from glossy pages of magazine ads. Hearing my name, I abruptly turn and make my way over to Gaudet, an excited giggle playing at my lips. Introducing myself, I was pleased at how friendly the two designers were, and they stood poised with the highest of class. Taking a deep breath, I looked at the kind faces peering back at me, and then I began my first interview of the day.

Where did you get your inspiration for the line?
"Spring flowers! With the long, bland Canadian winters, we wanted to bring some spring and color in early! We were trying to bring color back into winter, so we chose coats for the collection and filled them with color!", answers Norman, beaming at his success over the show.

Wonderful! They were all gorgeous! But why outerwear?
"It is the first thing you see when you see someone walking down the street or going somewhere", responded Gio.

That's true. It's like a first impression. Now tell me about the fabrics, they were

"The fabric is handmade," Gio responded again, "It is a piece of art I believe because all that you see, the paints on the fabrics are hand-done, it is hand-done work, all of it. It is all original."

We pose for a few photographs against the backdrop and I thank Norman and Gio for their time. They told me that they would be headed back to the Republic of Georgia soon, where they currently maintain a permanent residence. That was actually part of the reason for the flowery inspiration, they added as an afterthought, that it reminded them so much of their home in Georgia.

Elegant, delicate, and delightful are the best trio of words to appropriately describe the magnificent line that had the sun itself peeking through the flaps of the tents and beaming outside over the square. With hand-made felt fabrics, each unique coat brought a new side of outerwear to look for this coming fall. So when winter takes its icy throne and you tenderly miss the likes of flowers and warm, bright color, fear not! As Gaudet's masterful plan to bring back the spring fever early will have you flicking flakes of snow off of your wildflower or daffy-down-dilly overcoat and beaming at your rekindled color flame. Alas, why wait for winter when you can have spring?



All Photos are TFVG © 2009.

IT'S TIME TO 'SHOW LOVE' IN DOWNTOWN TORONTO

And so it begins, my first day at Toronto Fashion Week arrived. Wednesday morning hardly came soon enough, and for once in many-a-year, hauling myself out of under the covers was hardly an issue on this especial day. With not but four clouds shielding the sun's powerful rays from pouring in through my bedroom skylight, the weather was beckoning me playfully to make my way over to LG Fashion Week at Nathan Phillips Square in Toronto, Canada for an explosive day of runways, schmoozing and fashion frenzy. So instinctively, at the sound of my Blackberry's programmed bleeps, I jumped into the shower and began my adventure from first scrub to last show.

At two o'clock in the afternoon and I arrived at the iconic white tents propped in the center of Nathan Phillips Square in downtown Toronto. A red carpet is rolled out from the media entrance and security guards stand intermittently around the tent to avoid the uninvited. Taking a deep breath- my feeble attempt to calm my nerves- I approach the doorman and let him know my pass is inside awaiting my pickup. He nods and leads me to the desk, where I excitedly receive my all-access media pass.

The inside of the tent is absolutely breathtaking. Black and red crystal chandeliers are dangle from the peaked, tented ceilings while white leather couches are closely grouped for socialization. and fashion week volunteers are dawdling at every orifice with the week's slogan "SHOW LOVE" posted gaily on their white volunteer t-shirts. A dazzling bar stocked with assortments of drinks like fashion week-themed martinis and Jean Paul Gaultier Evian bottles capture my attention as I meander through the exuberant crowd. The area was appropriately titled "The Fashion Environment", and the show's sponsors had booths set up all over the fashion map. I stood in the center of the tent, taking in my surroundings. Directly to my left, Fashion Television had set up an area to film from, naturally to interview the designers I supposed. Behind that, the Barbie booth bounced out with animated color, iconic dolls of all sorts patiently poised behind their labels on the shelves. I unwillingly snapped my head away from the alluring display, turning to see the one room I knew I was bound for. I sidled through the crowd, working my way towards the privately-guarded, walled-off area. After more hustle than I had expected, I came to the entrance of The Media Filing Room. The doorman glanced at me expectantly, and I flashed my pass. He nodded, and let me pass. My chest began to bubble as my heart overflowed with passionate excitement. I scanned the room fervently, taking in everything at once. Turning to look back, I noticed the walls were used as boards to display the media reporting at fashion week. I spotted my own and had to clutch my heart to keep it from pounding out excitedly. Whipping out my camera, I snapped a few shots to commemorate the moment.

Happily dazed, I continued to roam around the room, until I heard an overhead voice announce

"Ladies and Gentlemen, please take your seats on the runway, the show will begin shortly."

I turned to exit the room towards the lines in the main room when someone gently tapped my shoulder.

"Miss, if you have a media pass you can just come through this way", a young volunteer advised, "Right this way, please".

He pointed to the far corner of the room where two curtains hung to reveal an entrance onto the runway, with a sign above titled "MEDIA ENTRANCE". Pleased with my good fortune, my mouth broke into a wide grin and I nodded my thanks. I glided through the entrance, flashing my pass where necessary, and continued to the runway. It was then that I noticed the names on each seat- reserved, if you will- and was shown to a seat in the front row. Giddily, I began to dither with my things until my neighbors came. I snapped shots of the enormous runway room. Complete and utter awe was washing through me, in waves strong enough to pull me under. Glancing around the room I took in every detail: the famous faces, the photographers and filmographers set up at the back, the bright white runway splitting the room in two, the house-shaped base of the runway with two entrances from which the models, designers, and magic all came out from. It was as if someone had handed me a pair of pink sunglasses- suddenly, the world had such a rosy tint.

Then the lights began to dim, and bright lights shone out the name "Gaudet" against that aforementioned house-shaped runway base. I knew it was time for the show to begin, so of course, here the journal entry ends. Here, my introduction ends. Alas, creatively contrived fashion reports, incredible interviews, after-party coverage, and sensational shots will follow. At long last, I bring you, my report on LG Fashion Week.

Back to the Future: The Eighties Revived

The eighties are back. And not just in an acid-bright, drummer boy jacket kind of way. No, this is a fully-fledged zippered, jumpsuited, bandage-clad eighties revival with but a touch of lace.

Arguably one of the most influential decades of modern-century style, the eighties are giving us a taste of what has not yet been lost to the 1900's. An era that based their fashion moves on rebelliously against-the-trend fashion statements, while some envision horror at the return, fashion designers happily sigh at the idea of new fashion prospects. The eighties give us more to work with when it comes to texture, color, and shape. After all, the eighties was purely the age of experimentation, so could it really hurt to play the change card in the rapidly progressing modern world we live in? Hardly. Why throw away a shot at freedom of expression and the ability to take artistic license to a new level? After all, it's high time I invest in a pair of stringy platforms and a big-shouldered blazer plentifully bestrewn with thick, belt-like straps.

One fresh designer from the runway, Christophe Decarnin for Balmain, was the daring designer who made the return to the eighties so appealing to the fashion world. Decarnin drew his inspiration from the iconic style of Michael Jackson: acid-washed jeans, full-length jumpsuits, and drummer-boy jackets with oversized shoulders and crystal embellishing. At the collection's debut, Madonna tunes happily exploded throughout the room while bored-looking models waltzed down the catwalk. Other designers like Michael Kors, Phillip Lim, and Les Chiffoniers also drew some inspiration from Michael Jackson, while Erdem and Christian Lacroix have found Cyndi Lauper to lead them down their creative genius paths of design.

But alas, how long will the style stick? Far longer than the summer, I can tell you that much. Style experts and trend forecasters left, right, and center have been predicting the trend to surpass the sunshine season and hold strong into autumn. So stock your summer wardrobes while you still can! Key items to look for will be lace leggings, the aforementioned acid denim washes, bright accessories, and strappy shoes. Look for big shouldered items, like the blazers and jackets by Dolce and Gabbana, as well as Phillip Lim's statement cadet jacket worth attaching to your closet hanger. Naturally, electric blue, vibrant lime, acidic yellow, and explosive orange will be overwhelming the runways, so make sure to bring your favourite pair of aviator-lensed RayBans. And for those of you who cringe at the thought of shoulder pads and jumpsuits, stick to geometric prints, denim, sportswear, and bandage dresses as shown below. While designers are designing fun pieces to revive the spirit of the eighties, keep it alive in your world too. Perhaps Playstation said it correctly the first time around, "Live in your world, play in ours." Couldn't have said it better myself.

WHEN BEAUTY INTERSECTS POWER: FIRST LADY GRACES MARCH VOGUE COVER

This March, First Lady Michelle Obama has graced the cover of the renowned Vogue magazine, making her the second First Lady to ever be featured on a Vogue cover, the other being Hillary Clinton. First ladies have been photographed for Vogue in the past, the first being Lou Hoover, wife of Herbert Hoover, but although they made the magazine, very few have had the honor of gracing the cover. The story going along with the cover is brilliantly written by Vogue editor, Andre Leon Talley.

Taken by infamous celebrity photographer Annie Leibovitz, Michelle Obama is pictured in the cover photograph stretched across a comfortable-looking beige sofa in the Hay-Adams Hotel where the Obama family stayed the few days prior to the inauguration of Barack Obama. Michelle looks exquisite, pictured in a magenta Jason Wu dress, this same designer being the one who designed her gown for the historic inaugural ball.
Inside the magazine, another photograph portraits the First Lady in her very own professional atmosphere, featuring her in a black Narciso Rodriquez dress with the White House peering in from the far window. The article was meant to take a look into her new lifestyle, and the adjustments that the Obama family have made to make way for the flood of changes that have washed into their lives. Michelle talks of finding a new church in the area, as well as getting the Obama girls adjusted at school and in the white house. The article takes a look into Michelle Obama's own dreams, goals, and aspirations, as well as her own personal wardrobe which, might I add, is fabulously stylish and as sophisticated as the leather-bound books on her mahogany shelving units. Even the hard-to-impress and highly judgmental Vogue Editor-In-Chief, Anna Wintour, wrote how impressed she was by the inauguration dress designed by Isabel Toledo, and the aforementioned custom-made ball gown designed by Jason Wu. Personally, the Narciso Rodriguez camel coat she so stylishly adorned at the Lincoln Memorial opening ceremony was what caught my eye!

Vogue has always and persists to be the nation's premier mainstream magazine for fashion. Putting a woman of colour on the cover, and a First Lady at that, really gives insight into how the editors of the renowned mag view the new administration. The ideals behind how beauty can intersect with power, even politics if you will, brings new light into the fashion world, and maneuvres the ideals of how power can be beauty. And how a south side Chicago-born black woman with curves can be fabulously portrayed of a symbol of beauty for all women to idolize.

"Change was the clarion call of Barack Obama's election campaign," writes Vogue's editor, Anna Wintour, "though I don't think any of us at Vogue initially realized that would include the difference that was going to be made by First Lady Michelle Obama's wardrobe. It wasn't just that her choices projected a simpler, streamlined, more modern attitude, rejecting the ridiculous idea that the only way for a First Lady to dress is in the dreaded White House standard-issue uniform - the boxy, anonymous suit that always managed to look as appealing, and as comfortable, as armor. Instead, we have a woman who is happy in newer, less obvious designer choices like Wu and Toledo. . . . It's inspiring to see our First Lady so serene and secure in her personal style."

Backstage Pass With Alexander McQueen: W/09

Drama. Brilliance. Intrigue.

Three words that describe all that emanates from the winter 2008/2009 Alexander McQueen Haute Couture show. As always, McQueen has spun a web of awe to lay upon his avid audience here in Paris this fashion week. The theme of the show was The Girl Who Lived In The Tree, with this thematic tree icon being situated in the center of the podium, enveloped in silk. McQueen appeared to have two separate ideals of inspiration from which he drew, the first set of designs being darker with leggings frequenting the legs of the models, while the second set was clearly contrived from Victorian inspiration. Here it is quite clear that McQueen has taken it back to his British roots; from the high sewing of the 1950's, to the British Empire, and even evident inspiration from the Duke of Wellington. The royal blue and scarlet red corsetted dresses, and the tulle of feathered ballerina gowns that paraded down the runway were simply dazzling. Matched with the razzle-dazzle jewels and maharajah-inspired small slippers that adorned the feet of the models (note that Victoria was an empress of the Indias, hence the Indian influence in the Victorian era), really showed McQueen taking it up a few notches, or perhaps ten. McQueen has always been one to attack the fashion world with controversy and shock tactics, that only make him ever-the-more brilliant with his avant-garde designs. This British designer has a style that is all his own: a theatrical explosion of creatively contrived couture.

But what about behind-the-scenes with one of the fashion world's most prominent designers?Let's take a look at the world behind the majestic curtains, where all the action and creative chaos resides.

Backstage is all a panic, but a pleasant one at that. Hairdressers, runway directors, and make-up artists are scrambling to get their duties done, while excited models lounge about awaiting maquillage and to be called upon. Taking a look at the clothing rack this close is absolutely breathtaking. Bejeweled dressed with corset backs peek out from behind enchanting red gowns. New faces of models look around with happily dazed expressions on their porcelain faces. Abbey Lee giggles to a nearby hairdresser. Well-known returners dawdle around, having done this hundreds of times. Lily Donaldson and Magdalena Frackowiak can be spotted across the room. They come over for a picture, Lily looking charming in a canary yellow ballerina dress, and Magdalena in a captivating white floor-length gown. The young, Belarussian beauty, Tanya Dziahileva, saunters over in a white and red swan princess-esque gown, a mildly bored expression on her luminous face. Her waist-length blonde locks are twisted into an alfalfa-like 'do at the top of her head, and brilliant bijoux dangling from her forehead. All the girls backstage look absolutely ravishing in McQueen's exuberant designs. But wait, what's this? The show is about to begin. Ladies and gentlemen, please take your seats, and allow yourself to be enchanted by the magnetic allure of Alexander McQueen's Hiver 2008 Haute Couture show. Allons-y!