Some Toronto fashion shows we really liked… And how they may be relevant to your life.

Here’s the thing about fashion week: your Twitter stream is flooded with (mostly) blurry Instagrams and Twitpics from editors and ‘bloggers’ and various other show-goers. Guests live-tweet, giving you ~up-to-the-minute~ news about colours, fabrics, hemlines, and other really important details gracing the runways. Great. Good. Lovely. But what real life value do these things have?

If you’re following the updates from larger-than-life shows in Paris, London and New York (read: McQueen, Céline, Prada) – you know where these clothes will end up. And, similarly, you know that you can hop over to your nearest Holt Renfrew, The Bay, whatever, and spend all your money on them. You’ll recognize the clothes when they grace red carpets. You’ll see the same item (read: Givenchy rottweiler sweatshirt) on bloggers, models, and celebrities alike.

But what about Toronto Fashion Week? With new names, young minds, and emerging talents, Canadian designers are doing some pretty great stuff. And surely you’ve seen a blog post or two covering shows here and there. Then what?

Here are some Toronto Spring/Summer 2013 shows we quite liked. And, should you like them, too, we’ll tell you how you can follow the designers and where you can find their clothes… IRL. And not only in Toronto.

Photos by Ron Ruiz

[CLICK TO ENLARGE]

LABEL @label_clothing

YOU’LL LOVE IT IF YOU LIKE:

- Clean cuts

- Simple details

- Bold basics/staples

WHERE YOU CAN GET IT:

- ONLINE: See No Label Boutique

- TORONTO: Homegrown Boutique, Lost & Found, Model Citizen

- OTTAWA: Viens Avec Moi Ltd.

- CALGARY: Mealan

- VANCOUVER: Body Politic

- BOSTON: Turtle Boston

LAURA SIEGEL @laura_siegel

YOU LOVE IT IF YOU LIKE:

- Bohemian garb

- Drapey fabrics

- Neutral tones

- Patterns, knits, patterns, crochet

WHERE YOU CAN GET IT:

- ONLINE: Shop Latitude & ILWYW

- NEW YORK: End of Century NYC, Curve NYC, OAK NYC (coming soon)

KLAXON HOWL

YOU’LL LOVE IT IF:

- You’re a dude, or a girl that loves menswear

- You have a penchant for camo

- You like classic pieces with quirky twists

- Attention to detail makes your heart beat faster

WHERE YOU CAN GET IT:

- TORONTO: Klaxon Howl, Uncle Otis

- CALGARY: Understudy

- OHIO: Brigade

- LOS ANGELES: Tradesmen, The Foundry

- JAPAN & THE UK: Find out here

CHLOE COMME PARRIS @chloecomeparris

YOU’LL LOVE IT IF YOU LOVE:

- Flowy, silky, fabrics

- ~Edgy~ jewelry & accessories

- Subtle prints

- Modern ‘suit’ pieces

WHERE YOU CAN GET IT:

- ONLINE: Chloe Comme Parris

A NOTE ABOUT THE JEWELRY AT LABEL:

It would be crazy for us to end this post without putting a word in about the jewelry at the Label show. The wicked multi-media necklaces are by Cuchara and you’ll love them if, well, see for yourself:

WHERE YOU CAN GET IT:

- ONLINE: Cuchara

- TORONTO: Love of Mine, Tabula Rasa, Jacflash, Bridge + Bardot

- NEW YORK: Sucre NYC

The nice thing about Toronto Fashion Week is that if you like something, it’s not completely out of reach (price-wise). And the nicer thing? Now you know where to get it.

+ SEE BEAUTY FROM THE SHOWS

+ HEAR MUSIC FROM THE SHOWS