The art of dressing
Some great outfits at the opening of Art Toronto
The opening of Art Toronto last night was surprisingly fun. I say surprisingly because I typically find art fairs overwhelming: a labyrinth of art and expectations. Instead, Art Toronto felt like a small town where you run into someone you know every few steps. A very well-dressed town.
I mentioned in my last newsletter that I’m intimidated by art fair outfits. How fancy do you dress? What designers are cool? Do you want to blend in or stand out? What will other people be wearing? When I first got to the fair last night, I saw a sea of corporate all-black outfits and panicked—as you’ll see in the last image, I was wearing a very bright dress—and kept my jean jacket on for the first thirty minutes. Slowly, I started noticing people's stunning outfits. I took off the coat and had a great night.
What I love about fashion at events like this is that you can tell people put time, thought, and effort into what they wear. It’s a small nod to the importance given to the art that you want to dress up in front of it.
A small caveat: While the lighting at art fairs might be great for art, it’s not ideal for taking style pics. Each outfit is 10x better than the photo.
I think the first thing I ever said to the painter Devon Pryce was, “I love your outfit.” This was a couple of years ago, and every time I’ve seen him since he has a great outfit on. They’re not over the top—they just work. Part of that is the fit, possibly because the clothes are custom-made in Toronto. The jacket is from Heavy Flow, and the jeans are from Plaza Works.
Brown + Black might be one of my favourite colour combinations. They work so well together but are rarely paired. I love the sheer overcoat that pulls this look together. Also, the Tabis + Merit beauty bag as a clutch.
I couldn’t stop gushing about this jewellery, made by Cooper Cole artist Kara Hamilton and available to COLLECT.
The draping of this coat is beautiful.
I love a pop of colour. The shoes are Camper, my favourite art/shoe brand (they’re always so comfortable!). The length of the pant + trapeze shape of the coat are also very good.
Odessa Paloma Parker <3. IYKYK. I had to stop Odessa to talk fashion for a minute—she’s wearing Edeline Lee, a Canadian London-based designer. Odessa told me all the gallerists are wearing her designs. Odessa’s jacket is Bob Mackie, the label literally reads “Wearable Art”.
Anahita Azrahimi mixes metallic + neon, bringing two trends together effortlessly. The black A-Line skirt makes the outfit timeless. Not pictured: matching nails.
Black worn four ways: leather, pinstripes, pleats, and velvet. This is a masterclass in mixing fabrics to make an outfit work. The cherry on top is the white leather cutout gloves (which I have a spidey sense are Chanel, but don’t know for sure).
These pants! The blue line adds intrigue and guides the eye along the curve of the pant. I also love the haircut.
Keiran and me 🥰. I loved the way Keiran’s brown cashmere blazer complimented the colour of my dress. I accessorized with a Bao Bao bag, matching black patent Ferragamo kitten heels, and silver jewellery.