The second night of Ottawa Fashion Week went over much like the first night, starting off slow, but picking up the pace over the course of the evening. It also garnered a larger attendance, whether for the disappearance of the previous day’s snow or the hype for the collection of Y!D.N.A.
The opening collection by Ariel Fu brought us a line of dresses with lovely earth tones, and classic fitted silhouettes. While it was leaning towards business professional and conservative, it managed to stay determinedly feminine.
The next collection was a Middle Eastern-inspired line by Iman Nakhala. Overall, the collection seemed to be lost, starting off with a sheer black dress that felt very modern but soon followed by dresses that had corsets, peasant tops, and even vests. With the main colours being a bright blue and off-white, it just didn’t feel like a fall/winter collection.
Jana Emilia was the next collection and definitely showed us a line ready for winter. Heavily inspired by aboriginal motifs, the line had outfits adorned with feathers, animal tails, and beads. At times these accessories were a little too much, overpowering the rest of the outfit, and there were a lot of outfits. Although an interesting line, apart from the native motifs, the plethora of differing designs and materials didn’t make for an overall coherent collection.
A remix of the song “Diamonds are Forever” played as the next collection by Nyira came down the runway. The collection consisted of mainly black and gold outfits with a the occasional addition of red or green. Nyria pulled off a line with dresses, skirts, pants and shorts that all flattered the models and looked elegant.
The evening was livened by a performance by an African style drumming group that had the Ottawa Convention Centre entranced in a flurry of movement and rhythm. It kicked off designer Gwen Madiba’s collection of refined, figure flattering dresses. Madiba’s colours of choice were red and black, however her use of a metallic textured material that was used in structured blazers was the most impressive.
Tess Johnson brought us something different and contemporary with the use of geometric prints in bright colours that left the runway looking like a kaleidoscope of chic. Pairing the bold prints with tailored leather pants or flowing skirts, Johnson created a collection that succeeded in construction and overall design.
The finale of the night was Y!D.N.A’s collection. Designer Andy Nguyen knows how to put on a show, and though not as theatrical as last season, he was still able to capture the audience’s full attention. Starting off with adding dry ice to the runway, it added a great foundation and dream-like atmosphere to the all white collection of men’s wear presented by Nguyen.
Almost avant-garde, the white outfits were all paired with styrofoam tinfoil platform shoes tied to the models’ feet. The pieces in the collection were simple in design, but achieved a modern and polished look. Y!D.N.A lived up to expectations and was a solid final act for the second day of Ottawa Fashion Week.
