paper doll – Katrina Tuttle SS10
I had high hopes for Katrina Tuttle‘s show after seeing her debut at FAT this spring. Her show at LG Fashion Week revealed what a difference a different fashion week really makes. Under the brighter lights and among more established designers, Tuttle’s collection of sweet dresses seemed repetitive yet somehow not cohesive. Her almost lavish embellishments were hesitant, the styling and jewelry competed with the dress details. The separates were quite sweet but there were too few of them. And unfortunately some of the stiffest, most inexperienced models of the whole week did not help sell the collection’s story. My favourite designs by Tuttle are the haute-crafty, whimsical and naive dresses that literally evoke rural Canada. I wish she had taken those ideas further.
, one of my favourite films, starring a gloriously mature Katharine Hepburn. I can’t see this reference point in the collection – the clothes are not even “Italy in the 1950s”. Instead, the clothes are pure Jason Meyers – the fishtail hems, the odd stiff arm things, the overwhelming ruffles. This collection is an improvement over the last season – Meyers added slits to the tight dresses allowing his models to stride freely. When watching Project Runway Canada 2, I admit I said that Meyers lacks a sense of taste – his collections have a tone-deaf quality to them. If Meyers can auto-tune his fabric selection and fit, I have no doubt that he can turn his many fans into customers.
