Andy Thé-Anh Spring 2009 – Toronto Fashion Week

Andy Thé-Anh’s show began and concluded with a rousing performance by an electric violinist, silhouetted against a bright pink backdrop. When it was time for Thé-Anh’s Spring 2009 collection to take the limelight, the plucky musician stepped out of sight and began adaptations of popular songs by the likes of Depeche Mode and Nirvana. The strings gave the songs — and the show — a moody, brooding atmosphere that suited the beiges, blacks, whites and faded reds of the clothing.

Thé-Anh’s theme was “Glamour Redux,” a play on classic Hollywood style with modern influences. Indeed, much of his collection for this season was far left of the excesses of present-day movie star glamour. Many of Thé-Anh’s outfits included a circular flower motif that adorned the chest area of blouses or as palm-sized black and silver jewels. Those jewels, as well as some strategically placed zippers, added a touch of light to the austere, modern looks. Hourglass dresses with diagonally wrapped skirts also exuded an understated allure. Thé-Anh’s simpler designs, which included contrasting colors of triangular stripes and highlights below the arms, looked more like sleek commanding business attire.

The most glamorous dresses came into play at the climax of the show, where swirling dresses in faded pinks and reds, and jeweled diagonal shoulder straps floated across the catwalk. Just prior to that sequence, the top halves of those same dresses were paired with more utilitarian gray skirts, grounding those ideas back into elegantly wearable territory.

Photo Gallery: Andy Thé-Anh Spring 2009 – Toronto Fashion Week
all photos by Kwai Chan / Meniscus Magazine