Montreal Fashion Week - Martin Lim

As a fashion-obsessed freshman at McGill, it was only natural for me to pounce on the opportunity to score a ticket to this year’s Montreal Fashion Week. Upon browsing the website, I was ecstatic to find that not all of their shows were exclusive, and that some were available for general admission. As if this wasn’t fabulous enough, the ticket price wasn’t through the roof either – shows varied from fifteen to twenty five dollars depending on the designer, plus taxes and fees. The lineup of designers was mostly unheard of, but Martin Lim’s collection preview caught my eye. Having always wanted to attend a fashion week, the fashionista within me squealed with joy upon the processing of my ticket to his show on the second evening.

The night was approaching, and I decided to go casual-chic with a drapey silk-cashmere top with leather leggings and black suede heels. Grabbing my Marc by Marc Jacobs bag, I hurried out to catch the taxi I ordered – there’s no such thing as being fashionably late at a runway show! The venue was at Montreal’s Arsenal, a converted shipyard built in 1846 that now showcases contemporary art. Walking into Arsenal whisked me away from the cold, unwelcoming Montreal winter to a world of fashion and glamour – pieces of art adorned the walls, chic furniture filled the room, and impeccably dressed guests chatted along an open-concept bar at the back of the venue. Martin Lim’s show was to be held in the Main Hall, and the queue for the much-anticipated collection began buzzing with excitement.

             

Having a ticket that was general admission, I was lucky to score a seat in the third row. Electronic, trance-like music opened the runway show, and soon models filled the stage, at first two by two, later on one by one. The collection began with a flourish of eclectic pieces along with a foreshadowing of the fringe fest to come: fringe, as well as silk cords and flaps, adorned countless pieces in cool, refined shades from grey-mauve to vivid cerulean. In footwear, each model sported the same chunky wedge wrapped in grey fabric, providing a factor of consistency among the wide and creative range of clothing. 

The minimalism of the clothing stood in stark opposition against the delicately styled hair and barely-there makeup of the models. As a finishing touch of femininity, Martin Lim’s signature free-flowing layered evening dresses appeared near the end of the show, showcasing the great attention of detail in the designers’ work. A personal favourite piece of mine was a high-low evening dress comprised of black and cerulean silk chiffon with a low back tastefully cut in a V.  

Martin Lim’s Fall 2013 show comprised of a modernist, chic rendition of style. Lim refers to the fringe as how we perceive time, mentioning the flapper fashion trend that has been bordering the attention of many designers for a few seasons. The ambiance of the show was one to remember, an image of a smoky runway bathed in a wide array of cool colours persisting in the minds of its audience. Their promising work keeps the fashion crowds waiting for his next collection – what will Martin Lim offer for Spring/Summer 2014? Here’s to another queue of anticipation and excitement for the coming season.