Menswear enthusiasts descended on College Park for a glimpse at what top Canadian designers have in store for their upcoming fall and winter collections. The runway festivities only lasted a few days from Feb. 25-27, but TOM left an even better impression than what we saw the previous fall. Enthusiasm seemed higher, organization seemed tighter and the show certainly drew bigger names, both in terms of designers and high-end sponsors.
TOM showcased established local icons Christopher Bates and Garrison Bespoke alongside a cast of relative newcomers, including Kollar Clothing, Som Kong and Joao Paulo Guedes, the winner of last season’s first-ever Emerging Menswear Designer Award. Their collections ranged from hyper-embellished to profoundly minimal, juxtaposing traditional tailoring and modern couture.
As the popularity of men’s fashion grows, shows like TOM help balance the scales of style offset by international fashion weeks which predominantly focus on female clothing. Impressively, Toronto’s the eighth city to host a men’s fashion week, beating out even New York (which will be catching up in July). In celebration of TOM’s latest success, we present you with five of our favourite shows this season. See you in the fall.
Christopher Bates
The Canadian-born
Christopher Bates’ fall/winter 2015 collection was inspired by Leonardo da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man. The influences of geometry, architecture and anatomy are reflected in his outerwear and knitwear especially. Textured formalwear and two-toned shirting rounded out his showcase.
Garrison Bespoke
Toronto’s premiere tailors hit the runway with formalwear designs ranging from traditional to contemporary. The second part of
Garrison Bespoke’s show created the most buzz thanks to an array of statement jackets featuring eye-catching geometric and floral prints.
Kollar Clothing
Toronto-based
Kollar Clothing showcased simple, laid back styles in a moody palette of indigo, olive and grey. Denim joggers with elasticated cuffs, shirting with mismatched lengths and an assortment of light outerwear provide many opportunities for on-point layering this fall.
MensFashion4Hope
Canadian men of influence took to the runway for TOM’s annual
celebrity charity runway in support of SickKids Hospital. Celebrities on tap included Raptors announcer Matt Devlin, MMA fighter Elias Theodorou, NewsTalk 1010 host John Moore, Moose Knuckles designer Will Poho, Canadian actor Ant Grant, the rockers of Canadian band The Trews and more.
Pedram Karimi
One of TOM’s most experimental shows was that of returning unisex designer
Pedram Karimi, who featured both male and female models on the runway. The collection features a mix of long tunics and cutoff layering pieces evoking both genders.
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A show perfectly tailored to just us guys
| Photos, opinions and more from North America’s next menswear destination |
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Posted on Aug 18, 2014
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What’s hot, what’s not, and what’s worth a second look
| No longer content to just be another “Canadian gem”, in the past few years, Toronto Fashion Week has graduated from playing the penny slots to sitting at the high-stakes poker table. |
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Posted on Oct 26, 2012
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The upcoming designer talks life, death and how boring men’s fashion is today
| “I wanted to create a bit more of a variety and stand-out sort of looks. There was a time when men got to be the peacock at social functions, and not just the ladies, and I’d like to go back to there.” |
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Posted on Jun 18, 201
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