Toronto Fashion Week: Mackage proves leather can work for spring at its spring/summer 2013 show

Toronto Fashion Week runs from October 22 to 26, in a large—and stylishly appointed—tent at David Pecaut Square. We’re posting full galleries from the buzziest runways. It’s time to forget about the chilly weather and imagine what life (or at least fashion) will be like in spring/summer 2013.

DESIGNER Mackage, by Elisa Dahan and Eran Elfassy

IN A SENTENCE The Montreal-based outerwear designers’ expertly cut leather jackets have earned them international attention and fans like Eva Mendes, the Kardashians and Jessica Biel.

THE SCENE Even though CBC bosswoman Kirstine Stewart and her husband Zaib Shaik of Little Mosque on the Prairie showed up well before the show began, the size of the crowd meant they still had to brave the outdoor queue to collect their tickets. Mackage undoubtedly has a large following of its own, but we suspect the brand also benefitted from its plum time slot directly before the blockbuster Joe Fresh show. Jeanne Beker, FASHION editor Bernadette Morra and philanthropist W. Bruce C. Bailey were among many who attended both.

THE COLLECTION For a brand focused on outerwear, the collection feels surprisingly light and summery, with an upbeat colour palette of neon yellow and a peach-y brick. As always, the leather pieces are beautifully fitted: pencil skirts are slim but not restrictive and the jackets are snug and shapely. That said, we aren’t fond of the leather elastic-waist running shorts (if you’re determined to wear leather shorts, the hotpants are less awkward-looking).

BEST PIECES We like all the pieces in the sporty nylon grouping, particularly the shorts for men and the slim jackets for women. A leather coat with black sleeves and a brick-coloured torso strikes the perfect balance between pretty and tough.