From rainbow plastics to the new summer suit — the Toronto Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2019 trends to know
The designer looks, for both men and women, to bookmark now
Over three jam-packed days this week at Yorkville Village, 20 runway shows and on-model presentations were shown as part of Toronto Fashion Week, in collaboration with RE\SET. A few of the collections were in-season, meaning that they featured products available for immediate purchase, but the majority of designers debuted their Spring/Summer 2019 designs at the shows.
Among the glamourous gowns, smart suiting and stylish separates being showcased by some of Canada's top design talents, we spotted a number of compelling fashion trends you'll likely be seeing everywhere next season. Try them either as shown on the runway, or in your own way.
Athletic center
Athleisure-inspired apparel and sports-centric design details have been trending for a few years, and the sportif-chic trend is showing no sign of abating. Christopher Bates and Hayley Elsaesser both presented tailored, woven menswear with sporty details such as elasticized hems and drawstring closures, while Toronto-based designer Mikhael Kale featured his own, elevated take on sweatshirt-dressing and the nylon track suit for SS19, and WIL Studios embraced anoraks and drawstring-toggle trim.
Clear intentions
From the iridescent finale gown at Christopher Paulnil to the richly coloured plastics on the Hayley Elsaesser and Hendrixroe runways, transparent PVC and plastic textiles made an impactful appearance in the SS19 collections. When worn as a structured jacket or blazer, the bright plastic garments are unexpectedly fresh way to add colour and freshness into any wardrobe. Just layer over your everyday neutrals and go!
White noise
There were several bridal-focused labels at the shows, including Narces, ZOFF, Mani Jassal and Christopher Paunil — but ready-to-wear designers also confirmed the appeal of structured white dresses and head-to-toe looks this season for both day and evening. Whether you are looking for a simple shift dress or a statement-making, draped gown, look to the collections of Sid Neigum, WRKDEPT, Victoria Hayes and Mikhael Kale for winning hits of white. And, you'll probably want to finish off the look with a pair of cool white boots.
Shorts story
The bold, brightly-patterned menswear suiting shown at Hendrixroe and Hayley Elsaesser for SS19 was entirely on point. The patterned short suits in particular were a highlight, especially when worn with on-trend sneakers and anything-but-uniform layers. Forget the classic, neutral linen summer suit; it's time to try something with a bit more personality.
Bold line
Stripes have become one of those evergreen fashion trends that never really go out of style. Vancouver-based designer Alex S. Yu used both grey, classic pinstripes and large-scale stripes in his covetable collection of men's and women's ready-to-wear looks, and we spotted the pattern in other eye-catching iterations on the runway at Sid Neigum, Kollar Clothing, WIL Studios and Hendrixroe.
Truc Nguyen is a Toronto-based writer, editor and stylist. Follow her at @trucnguyen.