April 10th, 2011
Reviews of collections that come down the runway during Toronto Fashion Week are usually marked by some form of polite applause or safely-worded statements about being “Canadian” and having a “unique” place in the industry. It’s often as much about biting one’s tongue as it is about promoting and supporting local designers, whether their collections merit a mention or not. But this season, there was much to like (and even love!) as designers stepped up their game and models stepped down the runway.
Here are five things in particular that caught our eye:
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Tags: Chloe Comme Parris, Joe Fresh Style, LABEL, Mark Fast, Rita Liefhebber, Sid Neigum, Tim Chan, Toronto Fashion Week, VAWK
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May 30th, 2010
Designer Mark Fast will lend his design talents to a different type of setting next month as part of Toronto art festival, “Luminato.” The London-based, Canadian-born knitwear designer is teaming up with cosmetics giant Lancôme, for a one-time installation called “The Ascension of Beauty.”
The structural design will see Fast construct a rope sculpture and fashion a dress out of lycra, viscose and Swarovski elements, in an interpretation of the Lancôme Rose. The design is meant to reinterpret the brand’s iconic symbol, while showcasing Fast’s vision of the modern women and ideal beauty and femininity. More noteworthy, perhaps, is the fact that this is a chance for Fast to fuse his love of fashion with art and architecture. While he’s known for his complex and highly-detailed dresses, Fast is taking his visual expression beyond garments for the first time. Knowing the time and energy he puts into his clothing, it’s a safe bet that this art installation will be just as stunning as any of his collections on the runway.
“The Aecension of Beauty” will be presented in Toronto’s Brookfield Place, Allen Lambert Galleria throughout the 10-day Luminato festival from June 11th to June 20th. For more information, check out the Luminato website. Though nothing has been officially confirmed, Fast is expected to be in Toronto for the opening.
Tags: Luminato, Mark Fast, Toronto
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January 7th, 2010
Canadian fashion darling Mark Fast is set to launch a lower-priced line this spring named “Faster.” We had a chance to meet the Winnipeg-native last month as he made the media rounds in Toronto, and he was mum about plans for a new line, though he did cop to a few exciting new projects this year. But reports today say the knitwear designer is ready to follow up on his pledge to make fashion more accessible to a wider audience.
As we told you last year, Fast made waves at his spring/summer 2010 show at London Fashion Week (photo above), after he decided to send a trio of plus-sized models down the runway. Perhaps more surprising, was the fact that this did nothing to deter from his beautiful collection of one-of-a-kind hand-knit dresses and tightly-wrapped, cut-and-sew pieces. The response from critics and buyers alike, was tremendous.
As for his plus-size pledge, Fast — a Central Saint Martins grad — is now hoping to translate his signature aesthetic to all shapes and sizes, while lowering his price point. His new line — expected to be made up of body-hugging tube dresses, leggings, crop tops and knit shawls — will range from $25 to $400 wholesale, and be modified to flatter most body types (After all, not everyone can squeeze into a slinky cut-out dress like some of the models we saw with Fast in Toronto). Expect to see “Faster” by Mark Fast in select stores this spring. More details about Fast at www.markfast.net.
- TC
Tags: Mark Fast, Tim Chan
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September 28th, 2009
Canadian-born designer Mark Fast has had quite the whirlwind week in London. Just a few days ago, it was rumored that many of his staff and stylists walked out of his spring/summer 2010 show at London Fashion Week, after Fast decided to send a trio of plus-sized models down the runway (The show still garnered rave reviews for its beautiful knits and figure-flattering dresses by the way).
Now comes word that Winnipeg-native Fast is the latest name tapped to design a line for TopShop. The 28-year-old Fast is no stranger to London and British design: He left his rural home in Winnipeg to study at Central Saint Martins for five years (citing a need to “see what else was out there”), completing a B.A. and an M.A. in the process. After a collaboration with Bora Aksu and work under Lanvin’s Alber Elbaz, Fast set out to design his own collection, which has been met with tremendous response from both British and international retailers and critics alike.
No word yet on just what his collaboration with TopShop will look like, though fans can likely expect more of the intricate, flowing, cut-and-sewn knits he debuted this week in London (photos below) — and, if the press coverage has been any indication — a little bit of drama too. Find out more about Fast and check out photos from all his collections at markfast.net.
- TC
Tags: Mark Fast, Tim Chan, TopShop
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