We caught the ever anticipated Hayley Elsaesser spring 2016 presentation yesterday at Toronto Fashion Week as well as the Mercedes-Benz Start Up presentation which featured selected pieces from UNTTLD, Beaufille, S.P. Badu, Leinad Beaudet, Laura Siegel, and Narces.
Check out our highlights below
Hayley Elsaesser
When Hayley Elsaesser presents a collection, you know you’re in for a ride. For Spring 2016, Elsaesser took us to a wacky, day-glo, tripped out carnival, where the popcorn is basketball sized, psychedelic skull smoothies are served and the poodles glow. Stand out pieces include a sequin shift dress with an “admit one” ticket pattern, and, well, anything with that glowy poodle on it. Hayley Elsaesser’s brand is on the rise, with a growing list of celebrity fans and a new retail location in Bayview Village in Toronto.
Mercedes-Benz Start Up Presents: UNTTLD, Beaufille, S.P. Badu, Leinad Beaudet, Laura Siegel, Narces
The Mercedes-Benz Start Up is a national competition created to discover and nurture Canadian design talent. In it’s fourth year, this award furnishes its winner with tremendous support to continue growing their brand and developing their business. After touring the country to determine the semi-finalists, the National Final Show at Toronto Fashion Week featured six very talented designers: UNTTLD, Beaufille, S.P. Badu, Leinad Beaudet, Laura Siegel, Narces. After the judges panel (including Canadian fashion icon Jeanne Beker) deliberated, UNTTLD was awarded this year’s prize.
Huge congrats to UNTTLD, but I have to give a shout out to my favourite of the evening – Laura Siegel. Her designs are instantly relatable, as in I can relate them to all of the things in my closet I’d like to wear them with. Her collection has loads of personality as well, standing out from the crowd with soft pinks, fluid denim and interesting hand-dyed prints. Laura Siegel is an ethically conscious designer to boot, employing artisans from rural villages around the globe to help sustain their local economies and communities with fair wages and mentorship.