This season of Ottawa Fashion Week took place for a second time at the Hilton of Lac Leamy, culminating in an exclusive show at the Canadian Museum of History on February 9th.
Day 1: Creative and Innovative
Ottawa Fashion Week started in strength showcasing the talent of edgy and avant-garde designers.
The designer from KLATT, Alanna Klatt, presented us with a collection full of well-shaped silhouettes and black and earth-coloured clothes. The style of a few pieces, with zig-zag patterned fabric, reminded me of African tribes.
Céline Brideau brought her new collection to Ottawa after showing her previous one in New York back in September. I was unsure of the choice of the fabric when I saw it backstage, particularly because of its heaviness, but my mind was blown away when I saw the beautiful coats and dresses on the runway. It was perfectly elegant.
Then, in completely opposite fashion, we had Beaucoup Fashion House and KEN|YA who brought us a mix of punk, grunge and hipster, with inside out bomber jackets, trench coats and leather jump suits.
One of OFW’s favourites, Zarucci, presented a collection full of fabulous transparent embroidered dresses, gowns and jump suits. The colours were in the palettes of nude, black, burgundy and a touch of light gold. In this collection, we could see that the designer took inspiration from the Indian culture.
The first night ended with Propetik by Jeff Garner. After presenting in Paris, he came back to us with ecological and renaissance’s inspired looks. It’s always a pleasure to watch his shows and see what he’ll bring next from his creative and extravagant mind.
Day 2: Simple and Elegant… with a bunch of flowers
Bernice & Barclay opened the ball with a beautiful choice of fabric for dresses, skirts, shirts, tank tops, etc. Black is always a classic, but they managed to mix it with wonderful floral patterns. It was just what we needed to see in the season of love with Valentine’s Day approaching.
For a second season, Naike presented his collection at OFW. Coming from Montreal, Tuan Dang brought to us a breath of fresh air. As always, the simple but elegant was all over the runway for him. With beige and black, from gray to dark turquoise, he literally made all the audience want to steal the clothes. He even showcased his first handbag collection. Certainly a designer we must keep an eye on in the future.
Although they were completely different, the last two shows brought us into a fairy-tale-like world. First was Serendipity, with models that looked like dolls wearing dresses decorated with bows, ribbons and flowers. It was a scene out of a magical garden.
Finally we saw the work of Sukhoo Sukhoo, who showcased more of a dark fairy tale featuring black and silver with glimpses of hot pink and blue. No words can describe the complexity of the designs! The dresses were just mind-blowing, with incredible details such as one-by-one-embroidered flowers or plissés with a short jacket. No wonder he ended with a standing ovation.
Day 3: Gala and meeting Sharleen from The Bachelor
For the first time, OFW had a gala night which only the most generous people of the Canadian capital could attend. Large tables were scattered all around the runway, the guest supported a beautiful night full of good wine and food, chosen by the chef of L’Oréé de Bois, Jean-Claude Chartrand, accompanied by fashion and music.
For that special night, in honour of the Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation, the guests had the chance to hear the beautiful voice of Opera singer, Sharleen Joynt, who’s on the current season of The Bachelor, trying to win the heart of the muy hermoso Juan Pablo! She later walked for one of the designers: Elena Hinke. I had the pleasure of meeting her and asking her a few questions.
‘’It’s my first time at Fashion Week and I’m really happy to be here. I’m an opera singer, so walking the runway is completely different from what I usually do’’ she told me.
I asked about her life since The Bachelor started and she answered: ‘’I was in Europe until recently, so they didn’t recognize me. But when I came back here, strangers were asking to take pictures with me. Then again, it never happens for an opera singer’’ she says laughing.
As a big fan of the TV Show I asked to take a picture with her and she said: ‘’I used to be a big fan of it too, but now I look at it in a completely different way!’’
Tadashi Shoji (presented by Shepherd’s Fashion) and Elena Hinke showcased more than 30 looks each. Both designers showed exquisite work of couture. Going from lacing to taffeta and chiffon to Armani fabric.
Day 4: Art, Design and Fashion
The final day took place at the Canadian Museum of History with the presentation of Montreal fashion designer, D.U.Y. The night was open to the grand public with free entrance. The attendees had a nice cocktail mixer with people from the fashion industry before heading to the grand hall with the amazing view over the river and the parliament. It was a clever idea to draw more people into the Ottawa fashion scene.
After NYC, D.U.Y showed us his new collection with incredible couture pieces. The colours were in the palettes of black, gray, white and silver. The amazing winter coats floating over the floor reminded me of the elegance of a snow queen. Fur was featured on the clothes and accessories as well. The dresses and the gowns were just so wonderful, they seemed like they’d been magically made.
Overall, this season of Ottawa Fashion Week was full of surprises and innovations from the designers and the organizers. We can’t wait to see what the next season will bring!
Photo Credits:
2, 3, 4: Katia Pershin Photography
5: Julien Boissonnault
1, 6, 7: Ottawa Fashion Week