Later in the evening, after the venue heated up with a little wine and a lot of shmoozing, up-and-coming locally-based female designers exhibited their flirty, feminine SS09 collections.

Porscia Yeganeh
Porscia kicked off this portion of the evening with gorgeously tailored femme fatale looks. She used unique and unconventional fabrications including high-waisted linen pants paired with a vibrant purple silk taffeta bolero. This collection brought to mind bombshell Bond girls and sexy secretaries who keep revolvers in their clutches. My favourite look was definitely the trompe l'oeuil bustier with high-waisted jumper pants. Her small collection was cohesive, fun and definitely had a certain type of vixen in mind. It was a very strong showing for an emerging designer.



Pouneh Askarian This collection brought to mind modern-day goddesses and glamorous screen starlets in their boudoirs. The palette of this collection was definely subdued - only cream, ivory, nude and taupe were used. This and the use of only one fabrication lended the show cohesion but left the audience with little to work with. Each look was lovely and had beautiful movement, but I feel like this was due less to great draping technique and more to fabric choice. Some looks were decidedly unfinished, one even with a model having to hold her garment on. Over all, the collection was underwhelming but pretty.

MaryamThis collection was whimsical - to say the least. It was a bit of a hodgepodge of folkloric fabrics meet nu rave colour palette meets Baz Luhrmann's Moulin Rouge on 'shrooms. The designer describes her work as 'vivacious' and she is not wrong. The collection was a bit crazy, but I had fun watching the show and wondering what would come out next. I wondered about the commercial viability of a dress with what looked like a pizza rendered in fabric on the front, but I definitely couldn't help smiling. You can find her designs at her store at 1871 W. Broadway.



Shea O'ConnorThis girly and theatrical collection of burlesque-inspired lingerie again brought to mind Moulin Rouge, although this time, it was a quirkier, more pared-down opulence. All the pieces featured bright colours and adorable ruffles and corset lacing, but I was most impressed by O'Connor's unconventional choices, such as a tweed bra and skirt set and also a skeletal, almost architectural pink back piece. My favourite look, and likely the most wearable in actual romantic situations, was the navy blue corset and ruffly knickers. This show was fun - I would have liked to see more!



Ogie KanogieThe designers of Ogie Kanogie cited their fruitless search for a good winter coat as the inspiration for starting this line and the show certainly started off with promise, opening with a cozy-looking faux-shearling hooded coat. However, as the show progressed, I was quickly lost in confusion - was this a loungewear line? Had I misheard the MC? Was that a dress made of shag carpet? Ogie Kanogie certainly looked comfy and cozy, but the fact that the 'coats' leaned more toward housecoats than outerwear, coupled with the decision to send the same models down the runway over and over again in the same looks with only slight variations in styling turned me off completely. Kudos for creating a line made of eco-conscious fabrics, but I have to draw the line at pajamas as outerwear.