TORONTO -- David Dixon paid tribute to his past and gave a glimpse of his fashionable future as the designer celebrated the 20th anniversary of his label.
Toronto Mayor John Tory was among the capacity crowd of spectators at World MasterCard Fashion Week on Tuesday for the unveiling of Dixon's fall-winter line.
Prior to the show, a flurry of images from the designer's two decades in business flashed on the screen, followed by a video of Dixon sharing his reflections on his life, label and the industry.
Keeping in step with his tradition of empowering women and celebrating strong female figures, Dixon looked to French military leader Joan of Arc as a source of inspiration.
"She stood for something," Dixon said in a recent interview.
"For me, Joan of Arc recommends what the modern-day woman is about. Fighting for what she wants -- which is unfortunate that she has to fight still. But it's having that attitude: 'I can do this. I was meant to do this."'
The models wore corsets and bustiers reminiscent of armour and sported loose, tousled braids for their turns on the runway.
Devoted to a black and white colour palette, Dixon brought his signature elegance to form-flattering capes, coats, sheaths, pencil skirts and pleated dresses in the range.
He made ample use of rich materials like leather, Tibetan lamb, silk chiffon, sequins and wool plaid. The luxurious garments were accessorized with shimmering accent jewelry from Toronto designer Rita Tesolin.
As is customary for Dixon, he closed out his presentation like he has done countless times before with a succession of showstopping dresses, most notably a sweeping one-shoulder creation.
TorontoFashionWeek-Mar242015
