Mackage

Based in Montreal and noted for their outerwear, Elisa Dahan and EranElfassy put a new twist on the classic leather staple, shutting the door firmly on plain black jackets. Though their leather shorts might not appeal to all men, their daring use of neon yellow, peach brick, and blue-to-sandeombre effect will be sure to set the confident man apart from his peers.

Soia and Kyo

Ilan Elfassy, brother of Mackage’s Eran Elfassy, gives new meaning to “keeping it in the family” by giving his leather jackets an upbeat feel by pairing them with turbans, vivid colours, and different fabrics (note: only the jackets are his, not the clothes.) In lesser hands, this combination could have very easily spelled disaster but Ilan makes the matching seem like the most natural thing in the world.

Joe Fresh

Once dismissed as budget clothing for grocery stores, Joe Mimran used what he learned from his Club Monaco line to create a brand that not only keeps up with the fashion trends but also starts its own. Mimran straddled the border between the recklessly adventurous ‘60s and present day by dressing his models in houndstooth, futuristic colours, and cagoule jackets.

Triarchy

Just when you thought denim was safe from the catwalk, this L.A.-based trio of designers (Mark, Adam, and AniaTaubenfligel) channelled Justin Timberlake and brought sexy back. It’s going to be pretty hard to think of jeans as just that when models wear them with bustiers made of nautical ropes. However, once you’ve managed to tear your eyes away from all the skin, you can see that their jeans still exude sexiness with low-slung waists and loose-yet-fitted silhouettes.

Overall, what was seen at Toronto Fashion Week was a nod to the past as designers stepped into the future. There’s a laid-back, open feeling to the brands that showed this past week, whether it’s with metallic hues or the comfort of the tried-and-true. 

But most interesting about this fashion show was just how wearable all the clothes looked. Make no mistake, this event was still all about peeking into the next chapter of fashion but there was an accessibility not usually seen at other shows.