The fashion industry is often perceived as an empty vessel where superficial creatures roam free, and the cut of a dress is considered a pressing issue. Try telling that to Jim Searle and Chris Tyrell of Toronto design label Hoax Couture, who partnered with the Stephen Lewis Foundation for LG Fashion Week’s finale, the Dare To Wear Love show. An all-star cast of 25 Canadian designers and labels showcased their designs, each made with six yards of fabric sourced directly from Africa, all in the name of raising funds and awareness for the fight against AIDS in the continent.

Some of the “It” designers that lended a helping hand included those who showed collections earlier in the week, like Evan Biddell and Pat McDonagh, as well as those we missed under the tents this week, like Linda Lundstrom, Greta Constantine, and Comrags. The collection was versatile and at times jaw-dropping, with gowns and cocktail dresses modelled by some familiar faces including our friend Stacey McKenzie, singer Jully Black, MTV’s Jessi Cruikshank and MP (and Toronto mayoral candidate?) Olivia Chow who got the night’s loudest cheers.

The enthusiastic audience was also treated to a performance by The Nathaniel Dett Chorale, one of Canada`s only Afrocentric choirs, while devastating statistics on HIV-AIDS in Africa were projected on the walls. The entire line will eventually be auctioned off, with all proceeds going to charity, and the men of Hoax Couture plan on making the Dare To Wear Love Show a mainstay at Fashion Weeks of the future. It was a fitting end to a somewhat uneven week of fashion here in Toronto. Yet on this night, and this show at least, everyone could agree that it was a meaningful and overwhelming success.

(photos by Jenna Marie Wakani)

- Daniel Barna