The second day of Ottawa Fashion Week has come to a close and as expected, the shows were phenomenal.  Read our recap of Saturday’s highlights below to see what you missed.

Canadian pop star Mia Martina (Stereo Love) was here yesterday to support Ottawa Fashion Week before performing  at Studio Nightclub. The music video for her single “Burning” played in the runway room to get the crowd excited before the first block of shows started.

Tribal Sportswear
Tribal Sportswear started the day off with a casual but sleek collection in their debut show at OFW. The 36-year-old brand had no problem convincing us of their relevance in today’s fashion world. Bright pops of red were a constant throughout the show, appearing in the form of turtlenecks, leggings, jacket, and pants. The collection included knit vests, mostly in earth tones, and showcased a great way to add some edge to a regular work wardrobe. Though most of the collection was sleek, Tribal added texture with fur and ruffles. The collection also included a sharp orange jacket as well as a cotton candy pink coat. Tribal stayed true to their name by including several pieces created using a clean and colourful geometric tribal print. The show’s energetic finale was set to “Stereo Love” featuring OFW guest Mia Martina.

DeMOYO
The excitement continued with returning clothing label DeMOYO‘s Fall/Winter 2012 collection, CUSP. Designer Paidemoyo Chideya’s latest collection contained lots of deep purple, black, brown, and white. The models wore purple or red heels from Town Shoes, adding a burst of colour. The collection was dominated by beautiful silk evening pieces, stiff popped collars, and sleek lines. One notable fitted gown was made of plum silk, with a square neckline and a handful of loose ruffles falling elegantly from the waist and a collar of black beading. An audience favourite was a white, crocheted lace, drop waist, knee-length dress.  As always, DeMOYO did anything but disappoint the audience with this classy, but quietly edgy collection.

During the break, Erin Saoirse Adair sang folkloric tales with her mesmerizing voice. Adair was a great addition to OFW, showing off just how much talent Ottawa has to offer.

Jana Hanzel and Emilia Torabi Fashion Design Studio
Returning designers Jana Hanzel and Emilia Torabi took us back and forward in fashion this season. The bulk of their collection was inspired by the baroque era with a modern flare. Hanzel and Torabi partnered with Sova Design Millinery to complete the collection. The models’ hair was tucked neatly under Sova’s attractive hats, which ranged from deep green bucket hats to fascinators. The hats perfectly complimented Hanzel and Torabi’s designs, which were eclectic to say the least. Colour is no stranger to Hanzel and Torabi, whose collection included pieces in bright lime and forest green, sky blue, and dark pink. Sheer sleeves, lace, fur, velvet, ruffles, and fitted bodices added texture and structure to the collection. Smokey makeup by Smashbox’s National Training Manager, complimented  each look in the collection. Models strutted their stuff down the runway to a vintage chair in which they posed for photographers. With such a variety in their designs this season, Hanzel and Torabi’s Fall/Winter 2012 collection will go down in OFW history as one of their best.

ElizBourk
Showing for the second time at OFW, label ElizBourk left audiences in awe with a creative street style collection.  Designer Elise Bourque created a winter wonderland on the runway.  The colour palette was light and airy, composed mainly of whites, greys, and black.  The show kicked off with a white cotton jacket with grey accents and an oversized hood, lined with grey silk and fur trim.  The model wore fur earmuffs to complete the look.  This collection is highly wearable, and included circle scarves, dresses, leggings, and blouses.  The Twittersphere went wild for nearly every piece, and some audience favourites were a pair of sheer leggings with leather knee pads and a pair of tribal printed leggings.  Pops of colour punctuated the collection in the form of vibrant fuchsia and bright blue dresses.  A simple, strapless, purple dress had a convertible flounce that could be worn around the waist, around the chest, or over one shoulder to change the look.  Several models carried massive white balloons down the runway to accentuate this fun, girly collection.

Rachel Sin
Veteran designer Rachel Sin returned to OFW for her fifth season. Her much-anticipated show was very well received by a packed runway room.  Sexy cutouts, lace, sequins, and pieces you just wanted to touch floated down the runway on models with dramatic smokey eyes, red lips, and 40s-style hair. Sin’s background in architecture inspires her to create structured pieces that are beautiful but wearable – just as the buildings she designs, they must be functional. The clothes were all neatly tailored and were mostly peach, white, black, and grey.  The show opened with a loose black blazer adorned with fur and black leggings with a tuxedo strip of lace.  Most looks were either dark and dramatic or light and feminine. Sequins were another common theme in this collection. Black sequin pants and a silver and black sequined dress with a high neckline and deep-V in the back dazzled attendees. This collection proved why Sin is always a favourite at OFW.

Providing entertainment during the final break of the evening was the folk duo Black Dogs.  They guided us through the 9 o’clock hour with their soothing voices and catchy guitar riffs on the L’Oreal Professionnel stage.

Turbine
Lisa Drader-Murphy came all the way from the east coast to show her line, Turbine, for the first time at Ottawa Fashion Week.  Turbine has received a plethora of international attention appearing in the celebrity lounges of major events like the Superbowl.  The Fall/Winter 2012 collection was set to music by Lana del Ray, creating a dramatic backdrop for the elegant pieces of Turbine. The label outfitted models from head to toe with clothes, belts, and handbags designed by Drader-Murphy. Black and grey silks and knits draped beautifully off the models. Statement cardigans wrapped extremely femininely around the models but were not unstructured, making clever use of angles to accentuate the female form. The collection featured blouses, long skirts, cocktail dresses, and pants, many of which were complimented by smart leather handbags and wide leather belts adorned with a bow. Sequins were a common way texture was created in the collection, proving that Turbine has something to improve every wardrobe.

Keep following us on Twitter and Instagram (ofwlive) for live updates on today’s final shows.

 

^Caresse Ley

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