Photo by Jack Boland
Pink Tartan is one of Toronto’s most glamorous and successful labels, sold on a global scale in New York, Dubai, and here (!). It’s the show where you see local socialites like Suzanne Rogers and celebrity musician Keshia Chante mingle. It’s where you see aspiring fashionistas stare in a stupefied gaze at the back row. And it’s where you see pretty fashion occur right in front of your eyes, plain and simple.
Designer Kimberley Newport-Mimran, wife to Joe Fresh’s Joe Mimran, began the label back in 2002 with the idea of a crisp white cotton shirt. Ever since, the label has revived the shirt in different styles, and has essentially built itself up on a clean, unfussy sportswear aesthetic with a touch of glamour and romance. This season, Newport-Mimran returned to the idea of its conception — basics with a twist.
Photo by Christian Allaire
“This season, I’ve really gone back to the Pink Tartan roots. I’m really loving the riding jacket, I’m loving the pant again — it’s been such a dress season for so long, so I’m ready for a pant. I took an a-line effect on it and I carried it through all the pieces. I sort of went to a beatnik beauty. I glamourized a beatnik girl, and I also loved a sloane ranger, so I took those two things and I mixed them in together.”
In case you didn’t catch those references, Newport-Mimran took reference from beatniks (rather, the Beat Generation, which was a subculture of youngsters from the 1950s who rejected materialism and idolized self-expressionism) and sloane rangers (that is, the upper class of the United Kingdom.) When looking at the fall collection, one certainly got both the 1950s and upper-class references: peplum tops in satin materials (in both emerald green and black) and luxe fur vests kept up with the latest trends in upper crest fashion, while feather skirts, oversized shaggy mohair jackets, and shearling bombers took us back to the period of beatnik expressionism.
Photo by Christian Allaire
The collection also took modern stabs at womenswear basics in the form of a-line trousers, power stretch dresses, tailored jackets, boxy leather tees, and polka-dot turtleneck cardigans. The quintessential white dress shirt was re-vamped by adding an oversized collar with black strip appliqués. Much like Joe Fresh‘s collection on Wednesday, Pink Tartan also toyed with houndstooth patterns in both dress and skirt versions, as well as bold reds which came in slinky dresses and furs (yay for furry arm sleeves part two!).
“For me, it’s really about the integrity of the fabrics. That’s how I start the collection and build from there,” said Newport-Mimran. “Fabrics and colour start hand-in-hand, and then I build silhouettes. From silhouettes, I then really go into how to merchandise out a collection.” Somehow, I don’t think she’ll have a problem selling this one.
Photo by Carlos Osorio 
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Christian Allaire writes on style for Toronto Standard. Follow his tweets here: @chrisjallaire.
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