LG Fashion Week has always been a great time for Canadian fashion. FDCC President and Creative Director Robin Kay has completely turned Toronto’s version of New York or Paris into a noticeable showcase for Canadian talent. Last night’s opening show, for F/W 11 was no exception. Each year has seen formidable Holt Renfrew kick off the week-long shows with an exclusive cocktail party for Toronto’s fashion elite. Thanks to clever marketing ingenuity the canapés and wine fest has morphed into a full-fledged runway show. Sadly there were only three major menswear designers shown: Ezra Constantine, Wings and Horns, plus Canada Goose jackets. If you’ve been following my blog I’ve already talked about sizable merits of Mr. Constantine so here’s a shot from Wings and Horns.

After the rumours, whispering and gossips had their way LG Fashion Week (http://www.lgfashionweek.ca) finally illuminated the runway in their new home the Allstream Centre on the CNE Grounds. Wearing John Galliano (after a muchly debated post of what I should wear on Facebook) I clicked into the Allstream Centre ready synical as all hell. Like many of the fashion press, my patience with the FDCC  was wearing thin overthe constantly changing locations. If you haven’t heard here is the list, yes you read that right list, of attempted locations: the Travelodge demolition site at King/Bathurst, Liberty Village, the former location of the Chrysler dealership on King West and now the Allstream Centre.  Robin Kay, President of the FDCC, once justified the constant change of locations as being “fashion nomads”.  However I question if the word “nomand” is covering up for other shortcomings which are not being made public?

The opening night itself was pretty much  standard with usual fashion pack in attendance: Suzanne Boyd from Zoomer Magazine, David Livingstone Fashion Journalist extraordinaire, Andrew Sardine from NOW, the fabulous Bernadette Mora Acting Editor-in-Chief of Fashion Magazine,  Jeanne Beker  designers: Farley Chatto, Marty Rotman (of North Bound Leather) and Joesph Mimran (of Joe Fresh) .The returning sponsors Shick, L’Oreal, Rowentta, Woolite and Holt Renfrew all had respected booths and such. However the feature of the night was the IZMA collection from Izzy Camilleri and Adrian Mainella. Camilleri and Mainella (who you may remember as former host of Fashion File) collborated on the line of furs under IZMA.

As the lights went up the collection has Izzy signature all over it with very little of Mainella’s style blended in. Camilleri over the years as developed a style for sleek, elegant and drool inducing women’s clothes which are, no word of a lie, traffic stopping. However, I was straining to see where Mainella’s, who is now billing himself as an Image Consultant, influence was. Though there were some menswear, it was token and as I found not very practical. For women’s clothes this collection had some awesome pieces and if you can sift through some of the mesh pieces for Fall 10, it would be worth it.

Here are some pictures from opening night:

The Shick Razor Girls at LG Fashion Week

FDCC President, Robin Kay Opening Night of LG Fashion Week

Designer Farley Chatto at Opening Night

My seat at the IZMA Show

Yesterday I stopped by The Shaun Proulx Show to offer myself up again as their Toronto Fashion Week correspondent.  Shaun wants to do me, so eagerly accepted my offer – check me out as I report from the runways daily on his show October 19th – 24th.  If there is a god, let there be another drunken Robin-Kay-as-Edwina-Monsoon happening to put the pashion…inthe…fashion – burp-stumble!  Good times …

You have to wonder if there IS a god though.  Because tell me what god would allow designer Alexander McQueen to invent the shoes pictured below for my lady friends?  This week in Paris McQueen showcased his Spring/Summer 2010 collection, webcasting it like the genius he is.  But the SHOES!