Toronto ON, April 24 – David C. Wigley premiered his new label CLAN GORDON at Toronto’s FAT Art & Fashion Week. I’m already a fan of the collection WORTH by David C. Wigley, and had been anticipating the new collection to be colorful and inspiring. I was not disappointed. He may have blurred the lines between alternative and mainstream, but he does it with flare.
Each look was styled to showcase the clothing the model wore, and so there was the greatest care to individualism, yet on a whole a feeling of connection was present. The show started with a young male model battered and bruised, yet undefeated in spirit, walking confidently down the runway wearing his CLAN GORDON sweatshirt and a tartan kilt. There was an infusion of color, fabric, and textures that left me wanting more. A strong motif of gold and black, with classic Wigley details of fringe and chain, were given a refreshing modern vibe with bright greens, blues, and yellows. Pieces were both vintage and modern: a sense of Celtic traditions mixed with grunge rock.
I fell in love with a few looks: the first female model was dressed in a yellow toque with black netting, dark eyes showing through. A stunning bright green suede jacket with black and gold textured sleeves, layered over a multi-colored print T-shirt. This was paired with a high-waisted black and gold skirt with long black fringe over ripped stockings and finished off with some Dr. Martens. It was a strong look that stayed in my mind through the whole show. A wide leg black pant and a bright blue women’s jacket with the black and gold patterned sleeves (a theme in the collection) is the next look that stood out to me. It was both classically feminine and yet still felt risky, edgy, in-your-face with fashion. I absolutely loved the pairing of the navy suede jacket over a sheer lace pattern full length dress. This look was already fierce on its own and was wisely downplayed with just a simple black toque on the models head and a pair of classic Dr. Martens on her feet.
For the men’s pieces we had just as much variety between sweats to suit jackets. Two looks that stood out to me. First, a simple white T-shirt that included an off-the-shoulder halter piece in black with silver studs and rings, paired with a laser-cut leather skirt over matching leggings. This look was a perfectly styled combination of the uses of black and whites. While the model had a strong presence that helped make this look stand out, its seeming simplicity is what really made it so striking. Next, was the beautiful black and gold dinner jacket. It was styled off the shoulders of the model. The model was clothed in a short sleeved tartan dress shirt, which was tucked into black leather pants. A black leather bowtie finished off the look. It was strong, masculine, very much a Wigley classic, but with details like the pin on the lapel and hand beading that was ever so breathtaking.
CLAN GORDON was implacability designed, David C. Wigley is going to storm the catwalks of tomorrow in a blaze of glory.
photos : Ian Compton
– Tasha Farrington
