Photo by Christian Allaire
Rudsak, the Canadian label run out of Montreal by designer Evik Asatoorian, always does one thing and one thing good: leather. From heavy outerwear to goods like gloves and bags, Rudsak has founded a huge cult-like Canadian following due to its wearable and stylish pieces, and has since its debut established several boutiques across Ontario and Quebec. And although nothing new ever seems to come out of it, I don’t find myself quite hating or becoming tired of it. Like, ever. 

Photo by Christian Allaire
This season, the designer was inspired by the very thing that helped found his brand: Canada. “I wanted to make it a reality of our market,” said Asatoorian. “The idea is today you’re wearing this and at nighttime you’re wearing the same thing. The only thing that changes is how you dress your hair at the salon. The accent on the leather goods and on the outerwear makes midnight become alive, so for me, it is how you want to be spotted when you go out as well as in the daytime… In my days, midnight was over. Now they get up at midnight and they go out by one.”

Photo by Christian Allaire
Indeed the clothes could take you from day to night without sacrificing an inch of style. For men there were down and leather jackets, a Canadian staple, as well as outerwear with architectural leather lapels, nylon bags, and slim black denim. For women, mixed leather and fur jackets, studded gloves, cheetah-fur outerwear with horizontally paneled sleeves, two-toned double-breasted jackets, and sheepskin fur purses. The animal rights activists outside the tents must have been furious. The fashion crowd, though, were not.  

Photo by Christian Allaire
The collection also seemed more forward than Rudsak’s usual line-up. Although the pieces remained very much in the wearable category, details like zip-away deconstructed hems and hood-to-hem lined fur added drama to everyday staples.

Asatoorian felt a push from the market to offer more cutting-edge details. “Last fall we had a lot of demand for exclusive pieces. We started doing it, and the reaction was so positive,” said Asatoorian, “so this year people want unique items. They want to stand out and look good, so we really went much wilder this fall.” Meow on, Asatoorian, meow on.