Though Project Runway Canada has long since concluded, L’Oreal Fashion Week will never be the same. PRC alumni can fill a tent like few Canadian designers do, bring gossip out into the open where it seems to want to be, and generally inspire passion in what was once considered a rather staid scene.

As a PRC superfan who blogged the whole series, its immensely fascinating to see what the designers can do outside the reality television fishbowl. In particular the top two designers, whose TV-licious love/hate relationship ensured they were the last two men standing. Now its time to see them spar like real designers – frock to frock instead of face to face.

I saw two very different collections.

The winner of the game show, Biddell, launched the week with the first show on the program. The anticipation was heightened by a lot of talk about a ethical sense of purpose and a striving for “edginess” and something new.

His invitation featured an unfinished drawing by a precocious sixteen year old, which as it turned out reflected the final collection well.

Evan Biddell used similar inspiration as last season – Spring 2008 was Saturday Morning Cartoons, and this season it was Anime. A real distinction or a Peter-Pan like resistance to moving on? He used the same fabrics as last season, but didn’t do anything different than what he had done before. A touch of origami pleating here, a nod to an Obi belt there… the clothing itself revealed a timid designer. Which wouldn’t be so annoying, if I had not had my appetite whetted for something new and edgy and controversial.

Oh, except for the “controversial” bit at the end.

Biddell, if you had blown me away with your collection I might have been more tolerant. But that was a sophomoric performance in every sense of the word, and giving us all the finger was just as predictable as the clothes. Not everyone applauded.

Lucian Matis presented an all black collection, which was unabashedly Lucian. But that was okay, because we expected nothing less than what we received; a parade of romantic jet-beaded beauties, a fantasy of hyper-femininity. Some pieces were clever; some were overwrought; all were created to a rigorous standard and a singular vision, which is what makes a collection really satisfying to watch – it shows a designer’s point of view, his reasoning, his offering. For this, Lucian Matis received a standing ovation from a full house.

So which duelling designer came on top this season?

Matis is not the only designer to challenge the outcome of the game on the real runway – Carlie Wong, Stephen Wong of Greta Constantine, and Kendra Francis are all showing what they’ve got at L’Oreal Fashion Week tomorrow and Thursday – and this time, we all get to be the judges.

Photos – Lucian Matis and Henry Roxas

I recently read Lillian Hellman‘s memoir, An Unfinished Woman.

A book I read when I was in my early teens was Hellman’s Pentimento, a collection of memories in short story form. It is a book that I have since read many many times, and every time I read it I understand it differently, because I am a little bit older. Each time I identify with a new stage of Hellman’s life.

I may read An Unfinished Woman again. I will certainly always read Pentimento. Scoundrel Time is classic cold war literature.

I have never read her plays, and they don’t intrigue me as much as her life.

She lived with Dashiell Hammet for a long time, at a time when that was uncommon. Kind of like Katherine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy. They both wrote movies and had some really iconic credits; The Thin Man, The Little Foxes, The Maltese Falcon, and Jane Fonda played Hellman herself in Julia.

When I think of style icons for myself, Lillian Hellman is emphatically one of them. She dressed well but was not overly concerned with clothes. She was a woman who changed and yet always was stubbornly herself. She was talented and flawed. She was curious. Though the date and details of our lives are vastly different, I admire and aspire to achieve her style.

For the past five or so years as I have worked my way through the fashion section at my university library, I have only given a cursory glance to the old illustration texts with their dull schoolish covers, but this week I took a second longer look, and could not take my eyes away.

Besides being a wonderfully practical text Illustrating Fashion gives a better sense of how to understand the elements of a good fashion illustration, and makes a point to explain confidence, practice, gesture, and all of those intangible things that great fashion illustrators possess.

Featuring many of the 20th century’s greatest working fashion illustrators. I especially enjoyed seeing a great variety of work from Rene Bouche, Antonio and Kenneth Paul Block among others.

It has all the basic simplified human anatomy, gestures, working with a model, and many other useful guidance for practicing the craft.

In particular I am studying the sections on media; it discusses all the classics like ink and charcoal and mentions fancy new-fangled techniques with halftone paper.

More and more as I am working on mastering the figure, I realize my next step is to develop an ability to create compositions and understand space, as well as master both action and interaction in one grouping as Antonio does here.

Exciting and inspiring!

Marker sketching is a classic method of quick rendering for fashion – many designers use markers to get their ideas across because it is quick, cleaner than paint, and versatile. I did a lot of marker work in school, but since then I have rarely delved back into it.

The recent acquisition of a light table has made marker work a lot easier. I am doing some practice for a presentation I am working on and happily discovered that many of my ancient markers still work. It is very quick and satisfying but I have to fight an instinct to overwork it.

My first few efforts surprised me, I never thought of myself as having a great talent with markers but it seems like it is coming more easily to me now than I remember it. I am just fooling around, drawing actresses for practice.

The ultimate reference for fashion marker work is Bina Abling’s Fashion Rendering with Color. It is a comprehensive guide covering everything from stroke direction to texture, tight rendering versus loose rendering, shading and highlight styles, and so much more. It really is one of few great books out there that is really useful for more experienced illustrators as well as novices.

Abling’s Fashion Sketchbook is the ultimate primer for fashion illustrators – there are several editions and they are all excellent. I did the exercises in the book on my own while I was in school (the book was not one of our official texts) and I experienced a lot of illustrative epiphanies while I did. It includes a lot of useful information that many similar books omit.

There are a lot of crappy how-to books out there about fashion illustrating. The weird thing is when I was just starting I could not tell the good books from the bad. I acquired a few bad habits from bad books, luckily I did not stop practicing and developing and I was able to shake (most) of them.

Part of the job of being a fashion illustrator is the process of continually learning to draw, which is a very satisfying process for me. I feel like there is a lifetime of development within this narrow specialization, which is why it is so exciting to have the opportunity to make this my career.

Such a great year. Lots of ups and downs. I tried a lot of new things and made my fair share of mistakes, and learned more than I can express in a post.

This year I became a fashion illustrator. At the beginning of the year I had no idea what I was supposed to be. Setbacks in other ventures and a lack of confidence held me back. Finally in July, I recognized it and consciously chose it, embracing the uncertainty, interesting things started to happen. I finally feel like I am on the Earth living a life I love.

I also kept blogging, sometimes getting involved, getting myself out there and occasionally even getting noticed. I love meeting all the wonderful fashion people both in Toronto and New York. It truly is a privilege to be surrounded by such a rich variety of characters, all with so much passion and fascination for this fashion thing.

I did a few things this year that I am proud of, and I can think of so many inspiring people I have met who have accomplished such amazing things this year. I really feel like I am a small part of fashion on a worldwide, countrywide, and citywide level and it gets me excited for everything that is possible. I want to give fashion all I have got.

So to recap my year I just wanted to link a few of my favourite moments. Thank you for reading, writing, and linking.

Feb 1 – NOW magazine features 5 fantastic Toronto Fashion Bloggers, including Final Fashion.

April 11 – Deciding to apply for Project Runway. Got auditioned. Did not get in – thank goodness. We had a lot of fun watching it though.

April 18 – Reviewing Ultimate Platinum, the Toronto Fashion Incubator‘s New Labels competition. Began my novitiate journey into understanding the finer art of the review.

May 13 – Froze my ass without a pass among the far more fabulous at Fashion Cares.

July 2 – My beautiful best friend wore a dress I made for her on her wedding day.

August 4 – Joined Anita and the team at blogTO. Learning to write for another site has been an interesting challenge, and offers me the chance to check out new things and meet new people in the city.

Aug 27 – Draping Demonstration at the Toronto Fashion and Design Festival with Englebert Gayagoy and Katya Revenko. I produced what may be the most elegant design I have ever made in an hour and a half, in front of Toronto’s busiest intersection. We even got rained out. It was amazing.

Sept 5 – 11 – Fashion Week in New York – my first. It was incredible, and fascinating, and overwhelming, and so much fun. I think I will have to return eh?

Oct 24 – 27 – Fashion Week in Toronto – the best ever! Met so many new friends, watched some gorgeous fashion, and learned a little bit about what it is like to work a fashion week.

Nov 24 – Fashion Figures featured in the National Post. My impromptu little micropreneurship venture, with no capital down, garnered 7 clients, a few wonderful new friends, and a mention in a national newspaper within 6 months. Pretty good for a little idea. I have more ideas for 2008.

Nov 25 -Thirteen and counting Toronto Fashion Blogger Brunches. This has been such a source of friendship, fun, and great conversations all year. Thanks to everyone who came, brunchers are brilliant!

There is so many more things I could write about which makes me feel like it was even a better year than I thought. The bar is raised high for 2008, and I feel ready. Next!

It is the end of an era! My final couchsurfing post. I must say, taking the opportunity to watch Project Runway Canada with so many friends made this television show experience very special. Thank you so much to Susie Love, Anita Clarke, Adrienne Butikofer, Tiffanie Ing, and Janet Hill for sharing spaces on their couches with me all season! You are the best!

Big thanks to the F-List for hosting the terrific finale party last night. I had a lot of fun and I even won a door prize – $150 towards shoes from Zola. I got to watch the show with friends, Tiffanie Ing, Susie Love, Jen Foster, Andrew Sardone and Philip Sparks. After the show I met a new fashion-internet person, Julia Seidl from stylehog.com. I hope she comes to brunch in January.

The weather from the storm on Sunday is still mucking things up in Toronto, my streetcar got stuck behind another streetcar that was stuck, and I ended up sloshing through the slush. When I arrived at Tattoo Rock Parlor, I was a bit out of breath. I met Shawn Hewson very briefly and it was a bit awkward. For some reason I did not put the right words together in time! Sorry Shawn – what I meant to say is that I loved the show and I appreciate all the hard work from all the cast and crew.

I am not the only fashion blogger reviewing PRC – check out some other reactions on Toronto Street Fashion, I want – I got, Chick Lit, Torontoist, and Canadian Beauty.

Now for the final PRC redux on Final Fashion… until next season perhaps? (more…)

My couchsurfing days are over… unless another season comes along I suppose.  I watched Episode 9 with Susie and Episode 10 with Anita.  Next Monday the F-List are hosting a Finale Party and there will be fashion bloggers there.  I am psyched.  Who else is coming?

The last of my spoiler posts is after the tease.

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As promised I have two episodes to catch up to this week for my semi-weekly review of Project Runway Canada. I watched episode 7 with Adrienne and episode 8 with Anita, much thanks as always to my gracious hostesses. My thoughts on the shows may be seen after the break…

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For this episode Gail and I enjoyed Susie Love‘s hospitality. Surrounded by Susie’s amazing jewelry, with a glass or three of good cheer, made me very happy that I do not have cable. It is a pleasure to be compelled to spend my Monday evenings amongst such fine company. Thank you Susie and Gail!

My episode review and another fashion week sketch are on the other side of the line.

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As an inveterate bohemian I do not have a great disposable income for frivolities like magazines, but when confronted with David Downton‘s compelling entreaty Pourquois Pas… I simply can not think of a reason why not. This is a magazine that is everything I wish a magazine would be.

For good or bad we are all artists or creators now, or at least we have that capability. The question became why NOT do your own magazine?

- David Downton

The drawings are treated like the treasures they are and the text and graphic design lets the illustrations take the lead. The writing offers applause for the contributions of fashion illustrators past and present.

The greatest treat for me is the glimpse into the working lives of artists like Downton and Eula. The magazine is not without a stellar supporting cast of divine models drawn from life like Carmen Dell’Orefice and great fashion writers like Cathy Horyn and Sarah Mower (both who are known to doodle in lieu of notes). In short, it is an effort that I most appreciate. Thank you David Downton and all of your marvelous friends.

To wrap up, a taste of some of the passages that have resonated with me.

“He was full of bravado and self-assurance, but he laughed at himself and was great fun to be with. He was also a great sales person. He sold himself to the fashion industry and used all his skill to describe the essence of the collections. In a way, he opened the door for other fashion illustrators.”

- Carmen Dell’Orefice on Joe Eula

“The point where art and fashion meet is fertile ground for personal expression… I began to see that there is a meritocracy at work. To be a successful fashion illustrator you HAVE to be good, since only the best and most accomplished sustain careers. It can not be done with hype.”

- curator William Ling