Willis Chan

I absolutely loved the location of the presentation and the light fixtures.

from left to right: Helder Diego, Malorie Urbanovitch, 111 by Parloque, Mikael D, Klaxon Howl, Triarchy

Hanging with Amrita Gill of Parloque and my lady pals in accidental matching outfits.

On Monday night I attended the Fall Winter 2015 media preview for The Collections‘ Made In Canada roster of designers, who will later show their complete collections during the World Mastercard Fashion Week here in Toronto. Clad in a few of my current favourites—a vintage suede coat, a denim skirt, chunky Disco Stu shoes, and a black turtleneck—I felt ready to view some fresh talent and drink some free wine.

The six Canadian designers—111 by Parloque, Helder Diego, Triarchy, Mikael D, Klaxon Howl and Malorie Urbanovitch—selected one ensemble each to present to members of the media, and right away I had a clear favourite. Having been a long time fan of Parloque, I wasn’t surprised. Head designer of 111 and owner of Parloque, Amrita Gill, has always had an eye for bold design and unisex streetwear. Parloque is one of the only boutiques in Toronto that carries local and international designs by KYE, Willis Chan, Soulland, and SAMO (formerly Malmo London). So I was quite pleased to see that she designs her own line as well. Everything from the dramatic black coat, to the grey hair and intricate eye makeup, to those perfect white heels by KYE worked. I can’t wait to see what the rest of the collections look like in a few weeks! Stay tuned.

I’m wearing vintage suede coat and bambo bag from Odd Finds General Store, denim skirt from H&M Trend, turtleneck by Uniqlo, and chunky derbies by Zara.

All images by The Pack

We first hyped the work of Toronto styling and photography project MILA back in July when the duo (Maddalena Petrosino and Eleonora Gaspari) released part 1 of their Yonge St. editorial series for nssmag.com. Showcasing Toronto apparel and retailers, each part of the series features clothing pulled from some of the most forward-thinking local shops and vintage boutiques. While Yonge St. no. 1 used vintage and new garments sold exclusively at Dundas West retailer, SOOP SOOP, Yonge St. no. 3 was styled with pieces from one of my personal favourite Toronto shops, Parloque.

Located about three blocks from my house, Parloque has been doin’ its thang and doin’ it really well during the seven short months since it opened its doors in the spring. Self-professed to serve the “bold & boundless, the visionaries & vanguards”, the menswear and womenswear retailer carries a range of indie and streetwear brands like South Korea’s S=YZ, New York’s Kathleen Kye, Copenhagen’s Soulland, London’s Malmo, and local heroes Willis Chan and Daily News Project. Much like that other hugely influential retailer reppin’ emerging designers and cult labels, Opening Ceremony, Parloque fills that gaping hole in the Toronto retail scene for stylistically innovative, fashion forward clothing that won’t necessarily require a month’s rent in order for you to afford it.

Yonge St. no. 3 was shot in the Little Italy neighbourhood of Toronto and features the babelicious babe Daphne. You can see the editorial and complete list of brands in Cake magazine and online at nssmag.com.

All images via MILA.