Ottawa Fashion Week Launches A Whimsical Winterlude Edition

What better can you warm up each winter night this weekend than an evening of glamorous runway show at the Ottawa Fashion Week? An incredible display of six or more incredible designers on the runway each night, OFW is not just about the runway; it is fashion, it is arts, it is a showcase of multiple talents and emerging artists. 



What can you expect aside from the live music performance, local artists' display and fantastic boutique-style shopping? Why, the parade of designer pieces on the Ottawa Fashion Week runway, of course. We have our regular favourites likeJana Hansel and Emilia Torabi, DARE, Elize Bourk and Y!D.N.A. and notably, the UNICEF Charity Show but we also have some new comers.So just in time for OFW's Media Launch Party tonight, Twenty York Street's Lifestyle It Girl Janelle Gagne gives you an exciting preview on who she is looking forward to see!

BERNICE AND BARCLAY

Ottawa Fashion Week will host Bernice and Barclay’s much-anticipatedlaunch on February 8, 2013. While the collection remains for the most part, a mystery to the public, this dress is a good sign of what’s to come. It got our attention for a pattern reminiscent of Moschino that balances perfectly with a fit that feels very “Mad Men”-esque.

Lorianne Hawdur and James Nesbitt, co-owners and designers, have created a line of quality knitwear for the femme who is toujours à la mode.

SUKHOO SUKHOO

Frank Sukhoo, designer and owner of Sukhoo Sukhoo, has been in the industry for over 15 years. After working for Richard Robertson among other local designers, Sukhoo decided it was time to open his own studio. Eight years later, his carefully crafted pieces are making him a household name in Ottawa.

Let’s just say they’re such beautiful designs, they leave a university student such as myself with dreams of future success. I hope to someday be a part of his client base, which includes many diplomats, local talent, and fashionistas.

It’s these clients that inspire him most because he often has consultations where he will actually sketch them gowns from their own ideas. Why include him on our list if he’s already showed at OFW? Well, for one, I heard he is ML's personal friend (Frank Sukhoo also dressed her for the famous Life of Style Gala at the Arc The Hotel) and one of her fave Ottawa designers and two,  he’s never one to shy away from unique styles, like the old Hollywood gown dress pictured, which always makes for a great show!

Sukhoo Sukhoo, Image Courtesy of Twenty York Street's Official Photographer: 

Richard Tardif.

SEFANI

Now that we’ve covered how to dress to the nines for a night out, time to look at Sefani, a luxury knitwear line, to relax in afterwards. Sefani is a line that includes a variety of jacket styles all of which are flexible yet classic, including many made of organic cotton. Their mission is for women to feel comfortably chic, leaving them with the freedom to embrace life. So get going, wherever life takes you.

Sefani’sline is the exact reason I go to fashion shows; to see pieces I could actually wear in my day-to-day life. I look forward to see her designs on the runway to pick which one will be right for me!

 Ottawa Fashion Week Images Courtesy of Twenty York Street's Official Photographer: 

Richard Tardif.

There you have it! Fashion and Lifestyle IT girl Janelle Gagne's top OFW picks!
Who are yours?