D.W FASHION || AFW S/S 11

While talking to other fashion bloggers and Alberta Fashion Week attendees, I found most were excited for the Saturday night show of D.W Fashion.

The hype was completely justifiable as Daryl White of D.W Fashion put on one of the best creative runway shows I have seen at Alberta Fashion Week. There is just something about White’s imaginative spirit that made his show fascinating. White says he wanted to make something different and different White is for sure: He literally turns to his own closet for his fashion creations, “[goes] with the flow” and the end result is clothing of all sorts with a lot of attitude.

White designs with recycled fabrics, clothing and reclaimed materials. That, for me, is a concept I think more designers and non-designers alike should adopt. An out-of-style article of clothing can easily be revamped into a desirable item or paired with other accessories to make it look fresh off the boat.

Secondly, White creates with taste & simplicity. There is nothing extremely over-the-top with D.W clothes. However, they stick to mind because it is simplicity with a twist. A favourite of mine was the up-beat blue and pink-patched wool sweater sported by one of the male models. It was paired with washed-out denim, pink sunglasses, and a pair of grey espadrilles.

Finally, White knows how to incorporate subtle but effective details in the presentation of  his creations. All-in-all, it was of unique and clever taste. Male models came out with bandaged mouths onto which White’s iconic “button” was carefully placed. At first, it was puzzling to see because only male models had their mouths sealed up while female models were bandage-free.

Certain male models also had their shorts or pants unzipped which made for a naughty touch. Details like the Sailor Moon cut-out on the back of the spiked jean vest and the tee-shirts that read phrases like “I can’t pay rent but I’m fucking gorgeous” and “you hated me in high school but now I’m fucking fabulous” made the entire show priceless.

The mystery behind the bandaged mouths was revealed at the end of the show. The two female models posed with scissors and made their way to the male models to cut open the puzzling mouth coverings. The male models had stickers on their mouths that read “D.W” and that concluded D.W Fashion’s fun and innovative show.

Words by Claire Miglionico

Photography by Eymeric Widling