Ryerson Fashion Week

Ryerson University boasts incredible talent in a variety of fields, which the School of Communication and Design exemplifies.

This year’s production marked the 60th anniversary of Mass Exodus where Jahmilla and I attended the exhibited graduating collections of Fashion Design students that collaborated with third year Fashion Communication students to produce the show.

Flare Magazine Competition Entry:

Andrea G for Team Adonis Menswear Collection:

LG Fashion Competition Designer Looks:

Ryerson U Mass Exodus fashion student designs:

The Mass Exodus show is always an incredible example of the professionalism and creativity that stems from the 8 months of non-stop preparation, which deserves to be celebrated and promoted to the fullest. The past few years has seen a transformation from only the fourth year fashion show into a full-blown fashion week displaying not only clothing and accessory design, but also including graphic design and photography.

It began with Link...the fourth year Communication Exhibit that was from from April 5th to the 7th; followed by, Three Ring: the Second & third year’s fashion show, ending with Mass Exodus: Chiaroscuro which ran from April 7th to the 8th with 5 separate shows and one shorter media show.

Second year students created evening wear garments while third year students worked in groups of five to create a mini-line catering to menswear. Personally, I was part of Team Adonis, a collection that mixed tailored and casual pieces using a colour palette of various grays, white and a touch of cherry red. I was thoroughly impressed by the menswear (and I’m not just saying that because I’m biased).

Model: Kaja

The majority of the collections were cohesive, creative and marketable as they were outfits that I would love to see on ultra-plush people. Prior to the Mass Exodus shows, was the communication exhibit showcasing 1st 2nd and 3rd year work, including 3/5 members of Team Adonis! There was an array of incredible photography, graphic design, clothing design and other artwork; plus, of course, they provided refreshments.

Finally, the main event arrived -- Mass Exodus. The theme of the year was Chiaroscuro-an Italian art term for the interplay of light and dark used to portray the human body as three-dimensional in renaissance paintings. The theme of Mass Ex was demonstrated quite well, with extreme contrasts of light and dark setting the mood. The Communication director was the fabulous Carolina Pineda, third year fashion Communication student, and all-around amazing person. She, along with the Art Director and Brand Manager helped to properly communicate the fourth-year designers visions as well as creating a visual treat for the audience, housing approximately 1100 spectators when run at full capacity. And let me tell you, there was practically a full house every night!

From Women’s contemporary to sportswear to menswear to art wear. The possibilities for collections were endless. Whether you are a fan of ready-to-wear or of the avant-garde, Mass Exodus had a little something for everyone. While I wasn’t blown away by many of the designs, I did find the glow-in-the-dark sportswear to be quite intriguing. It mixed practicality with creativity- something that is essential in the marketplace. While some may not be a fan of avant-garde or costume, there are always ALWAYS elements that can be used as a basis for entire collections. Whether it be the colour palette, or that leg-of-mutton sleeve that caught your attention-my interest always lies in the details.

So, next year is my turn on the runways of Mass Ex. I encourage each and every one of you to come see the show at least once. Much of the hottest Canadian Fashion Designers are graduates of Ryerson’s Fashion Design program, so you need to catch us before we’re famous!

Me with Commuication Director Carolina Pineda

~Andrea Golberg~