The persistent rain couldn’t keep Toronto’s finest from flocking north from the tents to Holt Renfrew on Monday evening to kick off World MasterCard Fashion Week in style with a cocktail party. The high-energy event featured a mixed bag of the usual suspects on the city’s social scene, along with fashion bloggers, models, fixtures in the Canadian entertainment world and a few unfamiliar (but obviously very fashionable) partygoers, likely industry people in town just for the occasion.
The cocktail reception celebrates the more than 30 Canadian design partners of the beloved designer department store, including Greta Constantine, Jeremy Laing, Lida Baday, Marie St. Pierre and Pink Tartan. Of course, the main topic of conversation among the sea of perpetually moving lipsticked lips was the shows earlier that evening, which included young sister duo Beaufille, Pink Tartan and David Dixon. If it wasn’t banter about the shows, it was over outfit choices; as in, “OMG what is she wearing???” and, “Ohhh, I love what your wearing – who is this?” and even the occasional “I need to get these shoes off immediately before I sever my feet.”
Aside from the unsurprisingly amazing outfits, flowing cocktails (there will be zero wait times for a drink at this party) and no shortage of delicious hors d’oeuvres (like the addictive fried tomatoes and crowd-pleasing baby grilled cheese and sliders), another party highlight was “The Bumbys.” Not for the insecure or already outfit-conscious, the masked duo holds nothing back behind their typewriters as they basically pick apart your appearance in the most “fair and honest” way possible and offer a report card in the end.
Slated to take place from 9-11pm, the space remained packed until close to midnight (when we called it a night, at least) despite it being the Monday of a jam-packed week. Those who stuck around long enough were treated to an impromptu dance-off/walk-off on an imaginary runway formed by guests, all of whom showed no sign of hitting the sheets anytime soon. It’s only Fashion Week in Toronto twice a year, after all.
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