David Dixon brought the elegance of Hitchcock and some weirdly sparse feathers to Toronto Fashion Week

As the end of this season’s fashion week marathon draws near, the fatigue is starting to show—after a socialite-heavy Pink Tartan show, few of the boldface names stuck around for David Dixon, whose eponymous collection closed out Thursday night. The hardy who stayed—among them, hairdresser Paul Venoit and society girl Biko Beauttah—were treated to a collection inspired by Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds, complete with a multitude of feather-skirted gowns (some good, some bad) and Tippi Hedren–esque pencil skirts. Also, it should be noted that Dixon provided each guest with a grocery bag full of goodies that was impossible to tuck under a seat (or carry comfortably). The swag bag included IKEA organizers, a fleece blanket and candles—“It weighs, like, 90 pounds,” said one editor.

Click here to see David Dixon’s fall/winter 2012 collection »

The collection covered typical Dixon territory, with plenty of eveningwear in luxurious fabrics (though we really weren’t big on the heavy use of teal). Our faves? In a show with very little print, the shimmering houndstooth looks that opened the show were standouts, especially when the fabric was paired with sheer black chiffon in a full-skirted dress. We also instantly wanted one of the attention-grabbing feather rings (we’re sure we’d break it really quickly, but so, so cool).

While we liked the petal chiffon bodices and the embroidered lace detailing on his taffeta skirts, the mixing of textures was sometimes off-putting. Sequined waistbands, sparsely feathered skirts and massive paillettes pulled the audience’s attention away from nipped waists, peplum ruffles and slim skirts of just the right length. Strip off the extras and you’d have some undeniably flattering dresses, which is exactly what we’ve come to expect from Dixon.