These Canadian collections are the ones to watch this season.
Ecole de Pensée
Ecole de Pensee, Spring fashion collectionEcole de Pensee
Each season, École de Pensée redefines their definition of traditional tailoring, bringing new ideas and concepts to formal dress. The spring collection leans heavily into this idea, juxtaposing fine tailoring with the raw, colourful palette of a car scrapyard. The best example of this mix is expressed in suiting and coats, with raw edged strips of fabric coming together to form abstract patterns. The idea behind this is “the notion that formalwear and nice clothes can be worn everywhere,” says Marc-Andre Garand, who cofounded the line with William Lessard. “Dressing well doesn’t have to be reserved for special occasions; it can bring a little romance to everyday life, no matter the setting.”
Grays
Celebrating its first year on Dundas St. West in Toronto, local boutique Grays has become a hot spot for picking up sustainably focused fashion. Its namesake brand sits alongside labels including Mfpen, Cawley and Wanze, and is fashioned from locally sourced textiles and natural materials. This season, the brand has collaborated with Canadian designer Avyn Omel on a capsule collection made up of three pieces: the twist long coat (a cream-coloured floor length wool duster), the high neck pullover (an oversized wool piece with a dropped shoulder seam), and the box jacket (a loosely fitted natural wool coat). Each piece is made in small quantities with 100-per-cent Ontario wool from Wave Fibre Mill in Seguin, Ont.
Literary Sport
Refined running wear meets contemporary basics at the newly launched sportswear brand Literary Sport. The new collection offers high performance pieces that speak to a sophisticated sense of simplicity. The lightweight nylon jackets and shorts in soft blues and khaki greens are standout pieces, while expertly tailored tights, tanks and tees ground the collection. “SS25 is all about the shift from winter into spring – when the ice starts melting,” says Jackie McKeown, the creative and design director of the brand. “The streets clear up and running outside actually feels good again. We wanted the palette to reflect that transition, with neutral, ice-washed tones.”
A Bronze Age
Vancouver based A Bronze Age is a source of romantic silhouettes, playful accessories and innovative classics that will live in your closet for years to come. This latest collection is a synchronization of all of the above, each piece wearable but with a twist. A lemon-yellow trench comes with ties at each wrist, allowing the wearer to leave them long or knot them into a bow. Eyelet lace day dresses and short sleeve shirts serve as staples, while polka-dot patterns and leopard prints grace bags, dresses and skirts that are destined to make an appearance at a summer wedding or two.
Golshaah
“This collection was truly a sculptural moment for Golshaah,” says designer and creative director Golnar Ahmadian. “It was the perfect time to explore the playful interplay of shapes, forms and fabric structures.” This approach is nothing new for the Canadian designer – a Golshaah piece is always unique in form and shape – but this season evokes a fresh softness. Ahmadian’s mind was on summer blooms, which is evident in the petal shaped layers exploding from the waist of a two-toned evening gown, or the folded panels of a linen shirt dress. Draping is also front and centre, with panels of fabric creating organic movements around structured elements.
