Hannah Yakobi is an award-winning journalist and communications specialist. Throughout her career, she has written for the National Post, OK! Magazine, the Ottawa Citizen, Canwest newspaper network and dozens of publications around the world. Currently, she is the Editor-in-Chief of FAJO Magazine, a Canadian publication with staff in Canada, U.S. and U.K.
There is no better week than a fashion week.
Torontonians welcomed the start of another fabulous event yesterday that is greatly anticipated by many fashion designers, but also by many artists, musicians, photographers, models and filmmakers – welcome the start of |FAT| Arts & Fashion Week.
In its seventh year, |FAT| is the brainchild of a well-known Toronto style personality, Vanja Vasic. The event’s primary goal is to provide a platform for inventive, pioneering and contemporary expression and, on average, attracts about 5,000 attendees. This year, |FAT| runs from April 24 to April 28, and will feature close to 200 national and international fashion designers, visual artists, bands and performers.
|FAT|’s mandate is to showcase “artistic disciplines rooted in fashion, and their exploration of clothing and the body in today’s time.” And what better place to do that than in Toronto?
Vasic says that every year they try to incorporate new elements into the program. For example, they pick a focus country for each fashion week and this year they are featuring Germany. In an interview with my colleague Julia Eskins, she added that their central theme is going to be Fashion Scapes, “which plays into the notion of landscapes, how fashion is always changing and always transitory.”
Part of |FAT|’s allure is its ability to bring designers, artists and performers from all over the world into a single space, therefore generating an incredible exchange of ideas, concepts and philosophies.
Last year, we saw a lot of great collaborations, with many joint shows between multiple designers. Their work was very diverse, too: classic business-style wear, cocktail dresses, medieval-themed gowns, gothic-influenced skirts, futuristic outfits and hats, and even mummy-inspired body wraps. Apart from the runway shows, the audience was able to watch several short films, listen to live bands, admire a variety of art works and photography on the walls, and enjoy live performances on stage.
|FAT| is the kind of event you do not want to miss because it celebrates the diversity and creativity of the fashion industry, while simultaneously acknowledging its partner-in-crime – the arts sector.
P.S. Stay tuned for my |FAT| report in next week’s column.
Photo courtesy FAT