The homecoming of Calla Haynes marks her first runway show since launching her elegant, prints-dominated label in Paris two years ago. The Toronto-hailing designer preferred to do small and by-appointment presentations there, til this season, when she opted for a video—and this. On the catwalk, set grandly in the Ritz-Carlton Ballroom like all The ShOws, you can see the expansion and diversification (read: saleability) of her ideas.
There is something for every event here, from a street-stylish printed denim “suit” to social-set frocks to supernal gowns. There’s even a swimsuit, done in a pinker version of her abstracted blossom print and shown with a cotton-candy jacket. Seldom does Haynes lose her breath-light touch: a couple of blazers seem incongruously stiff; a bustier’d cocktail dress is a bit been-there. Otherwise, loveliness reigns. The pajama-like printed pants, especially, pick up on a recent trend (see: Lanvin, Vena Cava, Suno) while remaining wholly Calla. If you can’t afford the whole look, there’s a plain white tee printed with a blue calla lily: a bit literal, maybe? But if logo tees are back, this one’s the way to go.
To get the back story and glimpse Calla’s inner workings, see her Creative Process here.
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Sarah Nicole Prickett is the Toronto Standard Style Critic
