Toronto Fashion Week: Gender Bending Sosken by Marisa Minicucci Fall 2016

Feeling cozy? Montreal designer Marisa Minicucci produced a sleek warm outerwear collection for the Toronto Fashion Week runway. Fall/Winter 2016 was an exploration of androgyny for the Sosken label. The conversation around gender fluidity is at an all-time high. The silhouettes for the jackets and coats had strong shoulders and a lean cut.

There were dark black, charcoal and browns with highlights of cream, red and blue. Textured wool houndstooth and plaids were in the mix. All the classic fall and winter fabrics and colors but with fresh, modern designs. Fur as an accent was the big star of the catwalk. There were fur capelets, scarves, handbags, messenger bags, muffs, foot warmers... It's Canada. It gets cold.

Marisa Minicucci as a designer, loves to constantly redefine sportswear and her overall creative outlook each season. As a woman, she thinks a lot about how the customer incorporates her clothes into her lifestyle. Unlike many male designers, she designs to flatter women of ALL shapes and sizes, not just the model. I find that to be the strength of female designers in general.

We might have had a light winter this year, but with Sosken's great outerwear from Marisa Minicucci, I am ready for next winter.

photos by David TW Leung

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Soia & Kyo Fall 2013

Where is summer? Getting caught in a deluge and some freak cool nights make me fear that we are heading straight to fall.  Soia and Kyo's collection at World Mastercard Fashion Week in Toronto showed Canadian fashion fans that there is affordable chic waiting for them.

Ilan Elfassy's runway had plenty of cozy but sleek looks for the latter part of the year.  Silhouettes were cropped right under the waist or extending the three quarter lengths.  The fit was slim through the waist and slightly flared afterwards for women.  Guys were basically slim and tailored, but not too tightly.

Both men and women had a consistent look of dark, urban colors like charcoal grey, caramel brown, black and navy.  Multiple ways to frame the face were a feature for both sexes as well.  Turtlenecks, portrait collars, over-sized lapel and pointed collars flattered the wearer.  Moto jackets looked great on male and female models down the runway.

While this label isn't earth shattering as far as fashion direction, I love that they give great style that is consistently affordable.  They sum up exactly what Canadian designers need to be to succeed in the fashion industry up North.  Perhaps that's a model more start-ups can learn from.

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