Jewelry, jeans, furs, pop prints highlight diverse Day 4 of Toronto Fashion Week

(Photo from TFW’s Instagram account/Courtesy of George Pimentel)

TORONTO – The diverse slate of Canadian design offerings were front and centre at Toronto Fashion Week on Thursday, with across-the-board styles in apparel and accessories unveiled for fall and winter.

Here are Day 4 highlights:

Architecture icons inspire 3d-printed jewelry from Daniel Christian Tang

Iconic buildings housed within and beyond Canada’s borders were prime sources of inspiration for Toronto-based label Daniel Christian Tang.

Brothers Luca Daniel Lavorato and Mario Christian Lavorato and Heng Tang reinterpreted larger-than-life architectural marvels into scaled-down 3D-printed jewelry pieces. The Royal Ontario Museum, Guggenheim Museum Bilbao in Spain and the famed “Bird’s Nest” stadium in Beijing were among the notable influences.

Bodysuit-clad models stood on individual podiums showcasing the complex, chrome-cast luxury creations, which encompassed everything from elongated honeycomb patterns to oblong, interlocking pieces as statement necklaces.

Mario Christian Lavorato said the pieces each took three to five days to print, and the designs are typically fashioned from a high-resolution wax printer.

Triarchy fuses old and new in luxury denim line

Family-founded brand Triarchy teamed old deconstruction techniques with new textiles in the debut of its Atelier Denim line.

The Vancouver-born, L.A.-bred label infused smatterings of colour into its jeans range, which included white and black denim, and an expansive range of blues, from light wash to deep indigo.

Multicoloured custom woven patches were stitched onto the legs of jeans, and also formed decorative bands when wrapped around skirt hems and emblazoned on jackets.

Classical ballet meets “Outlander” at Farley Chatto

Romantic ballet “La Sylphide” and time-travelling love story “Outlander” provided Farley Chatto with the creative spark needed for his lavish new line.

Chatto channelled inspiration from the Scottish-set ballet and the hit historical fantasy series in an extravagant display of furs, suits and separates. Colours within the collection transitioned from deep shades to lighter hues as the presentation progressed.

“I’ve always been in love with this ballet from the first time I saw it,” said Chatto.

“It’s so simple, but it tells such an interesting story because it’s a little dark, it’s a little twisted. But it’s about love and revenge and justice, everything that we strive for and we live for.”

The influence of “Outlander” offers the “rough” edge in contrast to the elegance of the ballet, he added.

As is customary for the veteran designer, the opulent furs were the focal point. A colourful mix of coats, capes, scarves, stoles and hats were fashioned from raccoon, fox, beaver, sable and tiger coyote furs.

The collection was steeped in rich shades of red, brown and purple.

Plaid was the dominant pattern in the line, adorning kilts, pleated skirts and bomber jackets.

Chatto fully embraced the ballet theme, with a performance by National Ballet of Canada dancer Calley Skalknik, and the designer himself dancing on pointe shoes to close out the presentation.

Hayley Elsaesser strikes with bowling-themed “gutter ball” collection

Hayley Elsaesser brought “The Dude” to the runway, drawing on key elements from “The Big Lebowski” for her pop-art-style showcase.

Elsaesser paid homage to scenes from the cult comedy classic by incorporating prints of milk cartons and bowling balls into her “Gutter Ball” collection. The line was awash in ultra-bright hues and whimsical prints of scissors and starry plaids.

The collection also had a retro vibe, with models sporting teased, bouffant hairdos and ’60s-inspired styles, like swing dresses and shift dresses.

The designer opted out of using agency models, with an open casting call bringing individuals of different ages, sizes and heights to walk the runway.

“I’m now 28 years old, but I know when I was a teenager I really struggled with body image because of the fact that all of the models you see out there are a crazy size 2,” said Elsaesser.

“I think it’s just important for me – when I know firsthand of that experience – to be doing what I want to see out there.”

Rudsak dials up the drama with medieval-inspired showcase

From the freshly applied wood and pillars lining the runway to the pulsating beats of live drummers, Rudsak amped up the drama in a medieval-inspired style showcase.

The Montreal-based brand’s latest collection was dubbed “Savage Spirit,” and aimed to evoke the rich heritage of the Middle Ages in contemporary designs. Rudsak made ample use of furs in a variety of textures – whether it was adding decorative trim to coat hoods, collars and jacket hems – or as striking standalone separates, like a tri-colour shaggy vest.

In recognition of unpredictable cool weather climates, the label also featured convertible jackets with hems that could be zipped-off for warmer days.