Fashion Art Toronto (FAT) is back in motion for another season of incredible collections and fun activities.
Known as the city’s longest-running and most experimental fashion week, FAT has built its reputation on showcasing stunning runways, immersive exhibitions, and the fusion of fashion with performance art.
This year’s 2025 Fall/Winter season kicked off with an opening party that transformed the underground parking at Woodside Square in Scarborough into a runway. The night felt like a snapshot of everything FAT represents: community, creativity, and unapologetic self-expression. Here’s an exclusive on the event.
The show started with a party bus parked outside the Fairmont Royal York hotel in downtown Toronto, where chosen media, influencers, and fashion lovers gathered before being shuttled to the event.
Guests climbed aboard, buzzing with excitement, as the ride itself became its own pre-party. Music filled the bus as guests snapped photos and exchanged compliments along with Instagram handles.
As the bus pulled up to Woodside Square, everyone braced themselves for the cold before descending into the garage. The space was filled with music by the DJ, whose set anchored the night with a mix of electronic and house beats.
A 1664 bar served drinks, while North Spirit Distillery offered handcrafted mixed cocktails that were just the perfect mix. Guests wandered through the garage, discovering installations such as oversized toys, AstroTurf lawns, and a Haidilao booth handing out free goody bags filled with snacks.
The highlight of the night was the runway show by Suburban Deviant, an introspective performance-meets-runway moment that fit perfectly with the setting. The show invited guests into a dreamlike suburban landscape, where models became living dolls celebrating self-expression, freedom and transformation, and deviant rebellion.
Each piece was a wearable artwork that told a story and brought out your inner child. The collection moved between nostalgic innocence and eerie surrealism. Models drifted through the space with slow, choreographed movements, blurring the line between toy and human.
Their clothing featured fairy wings, children’s book illustrations, toys repurposed into accessories, and ribbon details that evoked a sense of playground fantasy. Suburban Deviant celebrated allowing ourselves to defy expectations and embrace our identities we were once told to outgrow.
The end of the show signalled the official start of the party, as guests started dancing and music filled the space. The atmosphere struck a perfect balance between party and networking.
Friends reunited, and collaborations sparked, and the city’s fashion community came together to kick off the fashion season.