Get FAT: Toronto Alternative Arts and Fashion Week

Closing Piece of the Belinda Visag Show

DeMoyo with her models

Check out our latest article on |FAT| 2012 Arts & Fashion Week, featuring after parties and swagger. 

The runway wars have begun. We are thinking of taking sides early with FAT, Toronto's Alternative Arts and Fashion Week. Run by Vanja Vasic, Fashion.Art.Toronto has gotten bigger and better. From the many front row guests who spoke under condition of anonymity, they believe FAT has won out over LG Fashion Week this year. We've also talked to media attending the shows, ending with the same results. The biggest indicators are the consummate fashion photographers that attend every show ever put on in this city. Some pit photographers stated that they will be changing their yearly shooting schedules to be at FAT, which is a huge move. It shows their clientele, ranging from businesses to publications and forums are incredibly interested in what FAT has to offer.

Why do we stick out necks out so? Because we are a review site. Word from the street is gold to us and what we state is fact and nothing less. TSR attended every night of FAT, swapping it up a little, squeezing up in the media pit, sitting for shows and sneaking backstage to talk with the designers and models.

Martin Lim - FAT 2011

Backstage at FAT

On the slick new FAT runway, we were treated to a mix of stage performance and dance. We also watched film reels from design houses, the International Fashion Film Festival and the Goethe-Institut. We loved the collections of Paria Lambina, Belinda Visag, Toxic Vision and Ruth Weil. Mostly watching for hitches, boo boos and mess ups, we tried our best to spot something naff but to no avail. There were no shortcuts taken and everything ran smoothly except for models either stopping short on the runway or tripping slightly over voluminous dresses. However, this happens all the time and we don't mind indulging in schadenfreude. The most nasty thing we can think of? The music was a bit too loud sometimes.

What we love the most? We see young designers audaciously striking out, established ones showing some wild un-kosher ideas. We have plus size, petite, tattooed models stomping for all they are worth. Real women score 1, falsies 0. Support for local businesses, new models and young designers seems to be paramount to FAT's running and success.

TUZO hits the stage between runway shows

Backstage, we hung out with interns that actually look happy to be there. The hair and makeup teams from REDKEN and MAKE UP FOR EVER had an aura of independence and creative spirit. Arranged in an open format backstage, the teams seemed to work together and collaborated with not only themselves, but with designers and the models. Instead of a factory assembly line of pretty, there was a lot of artistic merit in the work coming out. I was lucky to enough to witness Larissa Palaszczuk of the MAKE UP FOR EVER team as she produced some stunning work on the eyes.

Zanete Auzina - Latvia

Guests at FAT also enjoyed the entertainment between runways, ranging from all-out rockers to magic shows. This was helped along with affordable drinks; Heineken at $5, a glass of white wine going for $8 and a can of pop for $3. For those lucky enough to snag some SWAG, there were the latest issues of KILL Magazine and tonnes of pre-release REDKEN product. Huzzah! We heart you.

In all, we'd like to hear what Vanja Vasic has to say about all of this. This small, indie runway platform for subculture and alternative arts has hit the big time. We'd love to hear her plans for FAT's glowing future as Toronto's best runway.