It's the second day at the Liberty Grand. I have the location down pat, now if I can get there on time everything will be great. Lucian Matis presented his Fall 2007 collection called the La Douce Absynthe.

It was a dramatic presentation, more like an art installation than fashion show. The clothes are influenced by 19th century France and some 1940s thrown in for good measure. The colour palette consisted of rich browns, mustards, purples, grey and black. Fabrics varied in texture and included handmade details like embroideries and paintings. It reminded me of the old Absinthe posters. The runway was a combination of corsets, bustles, high waisted skirts, ruffles, lace, brocade and kimono sleeves.

The show was beautiful, although parts were morbid. The series of black dresses, which were influenced by mourning dress, displayed this trait. I love jodhpurs on the runway and the riding looks were lots of fun. Unfortunately, this never translates to real life, unless you are on a horse.

The makeup and accessories fit with the theme of the collection perfectly. The models wore beautiful and ornate jewelry by Rita Tesolin. Hairstyles were big updos and cute handmade hats sat jauntily on model's heads.

I quite enjoyed Lucian's collection and beneath the veneer of performance, there are many wearable pieces. His presentation was more Paris than Toronto and I thank him for that.

I didn't get a very good video of the final model walk, but I did get a video of the wedding dress finale.

Wedding Dress Finale

You can view pictures from the show at my flickr page, the official site and Wire Images.

image: www.lorealfashionweek.ca