Last night’s Lingerie Française fashion show is Toronto’s version of a Victoria’s Secret spectacular

By Fraser Abe and Kevin Naulls | July 28, 2011

By Fraser Abe and Kevin Naulls | 07/28/2011

Come to my boudoir (Image: Jenna Marie Wakani)

The city’s straight dudes—who may have spent last night eating wings at Real Sports—likely shared a groan this morning when they found out they’d missed last night’s Lingerie Française, a presentation of skivvies at the Distillery District’s Fermenting Cellar. Local celebs like Craig Olejnik and Ennis Esmer from CTV’s The Listener, In Fashion host Glen Baxter, costume designer Patrick Antosh, actress Tara Spencer-Nairn and former Canadian Idol judge Jake Gold sipped Kir Royales and ogled barely dressed models who strutted down a runway in designs by Simone Perele, Gerbe, Princesse Tam Tam, Lejaby and Empreinte. Performances included awkward fan dancing by gentlemen who looked like waiters in puffy shirts (picture lots of twirling and kicking, prompting many in the audience to exclaim, “Even I could do those moves!”) while a jazz band played to a libidinous audience during and after a very sexy display of the theme, Ladies of the Silver Screen. Thankfully, this year’s festivities were decidedly cooler than last year’s sweltering presentation at Wychwood Barns, thanks to a wall of carved ice blocks and a whole lot of air conditioning. We could go on, but since we presume most people stopped reading somewhere around the words “French lingerie,” we’ll let the pictures speak for themselves. Full runway coverage after the jump.