Sunday night brought this fashionista out to Yorkville – the tourist and luxe destination in Toronto often known as the “Mink Mile” with all the high end fashion houses lining the streets and even higher heels. The invitation to this event was as intriguing as the designer. It strongly indicated “no plus ones” and that a very select group has been invited to this showing of Canadian Men’s wear and bags by designer Ken Chow of Krane Design.
Ken’s designs are inspired by vintage military uniforms with a modern touch. His collection often mixes leather and rugged waxed cotton that is both masculine and urban. Ken’s attention to detail is impeccable. No bulk here but clean lines and from what I saw, each piece looked great on every man that was there (yes, they were encouraged to try things on). In the corner, a gorgeous display of the designer’s work and travel bags made of the same material reflecting his utilitarian modern look and feel. All his designs are made in Canada with hand-work done in house.
The very talented Ken Chow studied menswear design at New York’s Fashion Institute and Technology. Prior to starting Krane Design he interned with Marc Jacobs and Cloak. He also won an opportunity to showcase his vision of menswear with GenArt in their International Styles Competition.
Ken currently shows his collection in New York and Toronto.
Honoured to have made “the list” I still didn’t want to go to this one alone. I enlisted a good friend of mine who is one of the most respected art directors in the fashion magazine industry (I figured he may be one of a few that would make it past the gatekeepers). I noted high profile media types amongst the crowd of no more than 50 including familiar faces from Toronto Life, Global TV, City TV and Globe and Mail.
So, why the intimate setting? There is quiet whisper in the fashion industry that seems to be making BIG noise. The coveted invitations to the exclusive showings like this brings the reality of fashion back to the roots and foundations. It’s more about fashion and not so much about a corporate driven event. And the expectations are high within these walls – the attention to the details in this affair was a great reflection of the designer himself. The “real cool” factor is the appreciation of the designer and his high quality craftsmanship.
At this venue, models adorned in Krane Design mingled within the crowd who were sipping on prosecco and noshed on nibblies while the host and PR mogul graciously worked the room of influencers and camera crews. Everyone was well taken care of and the designer was approachable. Such a fabulous venue! I was very humbled to be part of such a warm and receptive gathering.
For more details and a look at the collections, check out www.KraneDesign.com
A VERY great start indeed to a busy fashion week! Stay tuned for more updates!