Lucian Matis is the second down the rogue runway at the off-site shows

Lucian Matis is the second down the rogue runway at the off-site shows

Is this woman’s calling a stage show in Las Vegas? (Image: Jenna Marie Wakani)

Lucian Matis held his spring/summer 2012 Rogue Fashion Week show at event space 99 Sudbury for a packed crowd of tastemaking elite: bloggers with 100 page views a week, fashion editors Lisa Tant and Derick Chetty and an assortment of fashion enthusiasts we’ve never seen before. We spotted the FDCC’s Robin Kay (who allegedly nabbed a neighbour’s swag bag before rushing out), MuchMusic’s Sarah Taylor and a whole slew of primped and preened ladies striking poses in their finest club wear (including one who thought a downpour was the perfect weather for her finest feather bustier). Amid the thudding techno beats and blue LED lights was a collection that—at times—was perfect for cocktail parties: appliquéd rosettes, New Year’s Eve–appropriate colours like pink, royal blue, purple and shocks of orange, and flouncy pleats. We weren’t sure if the cream-coloured one-piece outfits were bathing suits or just incredibly daring, and some pieces could have used an edit or two, since many had competing elements, like colourful basket-weave silk, studding and an inelegant smattering of appliquéd flowers—whether some of these elements were handmade is moot, because an outfit is not merely its embellishments. Check out our full runway gallery after the jump.

The flowing gowns were well detailed, but too sheer to wear anywhere besides an audition for Showgirls 3 (but prove us wrong), and our favourite of the night was a champagne-toned sheer trench (very Cher Horowitz) with a slightly more demure peppering of the appliquéd flowers that continued to crop up. The show closed to loud hoots and hollers from the crowd, a far cry from the sombre clapping heard at most other runways—a sure sign that Matis has pleased a group more important than any fashion media: his fans (and friends and family).

Check out the full spring/summer 2012 collection from Lucian Matis »