During my interview with Mélissa Nepton right after the presentation of her fall 2012 collection, I had to surpress a smile while she described her inspirations for her Eolia-entitled range in a heavy Quebec accent. She was continuously apologizing for not getting her point across properly but as with most designers, her work spoke novels.
Inspired by cultures that thrive in the cold, Nepton created a collection that saw her models wrapped in the thickest, chunkiest wool knits. The Montreal-based designer expressed an interest in combining contrasting fabrics…just ’cause.
“People think that because it’s winter you need big fabric but it’s not true,” Nepton explained to me while one of her models sweated profusely under the glaring backstage lights. “You can wear anything whenever you want. So I mixed light silk dresses with heavy wools.”
In addition to cozy coats and oversized sweaters, Nepton showed a few exceptionally feminine and fluid styles. Sheer chiffon dresses, slinky separates and cigarette-thin trousers lifted the attitude of the collection and were a welcome change from the onslaught of weighted down fabrics this fashion week has brought us.
Images: Jason Hargrove
Nepton’s palatte was kept mostly in black and grey but when the fabrics got lighter so did the colours. The same frosty blue shade kept popping up in the silky dresses and chiffon pieces.
“I have a reputation of being a dark designer,” Nepton said. “So for this collection I brought in the ice blue because the collection is cozy and looks like it can keep you warm on an iceberg almost. The oceanic blue, for me, was a good mix with the black and grey.”
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Bianca Teixeira writes about style for Toronto Standard. Exclusive coverage for Toronto Fashion Week continues. Follow her on Twitter at @BeeIsTheNewBlog.
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