World MasterCard Toronto Fashion Week trends

The chairs are packed away, the fashion elite crowd is gone, and the runway is clear, but the styles and trends of spring 2013 World MasterCard Toronto Fashion Week are clearly embedded in the minds of fashion enthusiasts everywhere.

Everyday glamour

Glamour was a clear focus on the runway this year. From the makeup to the hair to the clothes, some designers channelled old Hollywood sophistication and class in their designs, except this wasn’t the sophistication you can only display on special occasions. No, instead the trending theme on the runway was everyday glamour, which infused casual pieces like tailored pants and tailored pleated skirts made more glamorous in shiny, satin material, soft colours and feminine, playful prints. One designer who wowed the audience with this mix of basic and elegant was Kimberley Newport-Mimran. Her spring 2013 Pink Tartan Collection included pieces such as a clean, white, tailored suit and a fitted butterfly sweater with pastel pink jeans that were as gorgeous as they were wearable.

Cool city

If you ever wanted to emulate the effortless fashion style of Torontonians or any other major Canadian city, then take note of this trend. Two designer collections — Mackage and Soia & Kyo — showed us how to mix bright pieces (like yellow shorts) with calmer tones of brown and khaki to ultimately sport a style that’s all about working with the pieces you’ve got. Although Mackage focused on tan leather shorts and sporty jackets and Soia & Kyo used softer pastel colours like rose, green and hints of purple, both designers showcased how easy it is to get an urban-inspired look that’s perfect for anyone who wants to add some edge to their wardrobe next spring.

Fresh and clean

The spring season is all about saying goodbye to the cold, frigid winter and hello to a fresh, new start, so it’s no wonder that Fashion Week designers created their collections to consist of crisp, clean silhouettes with a huge emphasis on white tones or very light colours. One designer who caught the essence of spring in their designs perfectly was Duy Nguyen. The talented Montreal-based designer presented his spring collection at the Mercedes-Benz Start Up National Final, and his contemporary, high-end, ready-to-wear clothes included perfectly tailored pieces that featured specific details, such as high slits and sheer, loose material, and even borrowed a little inspiration from this year’s fall-winter trends, such as mini-peplums. Another designer to showcase clean designs was Golnaz Ashtiani, who took a futuristic approach to the trend with her artfully designed sheer, cut-out tops and sleek, fitted white dresses with hints of light pink and ocean blue.

Colour seductress

Last spring pastels were the colour du jour, and even though they’re still showing up in the spring 2013 collections, a lot of designers at Fashion Week focused on flattering, bright, rich tones. Now, these aren’t the same dark colours we’re seeing this fall, like emerald green or royal blue. No, these are colours like grapefruit fuchsia and bright mustard. From Express to Lucian Matis to Rachel Sin, designers embraced these bright, feminine colours that you’re definitely going to want in your closet by the time the spring season starts.

’60s switch

What’s one great thing about the fashion industry? Designers can take an old trend and, with a lot of imagination and creativity, turn it into a new style. That was exactly the case this year, as some designers’ creations copied the tailored styles of the ’60s era. But instead of just copies of the past, slight switch-ups were evident, as designers such as Korhani Home featured flapper dresses with Inuit-esque and retro prints, while Joe Fresh dazzled us with ultra-chic pleated yellow skirts and even cute retro black-and-white checkered underwear.

More about fashion

Glamorous shirts under $30
How to dress for you body shape
Top 5 International fashion blogs