DAPHNE GORDON
Life Writer
The local label Cincyn, known for its slinky dresses and sexy suits, was named best new label at the Toronto Fashion Incubator's show featuring three young design houses.
The packed show, at the lavish Arcadian Court on the eighth floor of The Bay building at Queen and Bay Sts. last week, attracted a crush of fashion fans and media, as well as a few celebs, including Canadian Idol judge Jake Gold and movie starlet Wendy Crewson.
The event centred around a movie-screen backdrop showing three vintage films: the Sherlock Holmes thriller Dressed to Kill, Jean-Luc Godard's Breathless and Bonnie and Clyde. The cinematic theme tied the three collections together, creating a smooth, multimedia show with pop-culture appeal.
The slick presentation, choreographed and designed by fashion producer Len Henry, bumped the production values to a truly professional level, allowing the designers to show their collections in the best light possible.
Sweet tea tables and chairs lined the runway and waiters served vanilla tea in porcelain cups to buyers and the media, lending the whole affair an elegance that was sometimes lacking at New Labels shows in the past.
Cincyn's menswear-inspired collection for fall 2005 featured tweed basics, flowing gowns and cropped fur jackets, and was based on the idea of rummaging through the closet of Sherlock Holmes and his lover.
Jaunty models emerged carrying canes and wearing driving gloves, conveying an image of a confident woman who mixes items from her own girly wardrobe with elements of her dandy boyfriend's.
The label's designers, Cynthia Florek and Cindy Custodio, took home a cash prize of $1,000 and will soon see their clothes in the pages of Elle Canada, the fashion magazine that sponsored the award.
"I loved their confidence," says Rita Silvan, editor of Elle Canada and a judge for the competition.
"They didn't look like young designers. It was such a complete look and a strong point of view. Even an established designer can have trouble with that sometimes," adds Silvan.
One piece of particular note was an animal print silk chiffon gown, which Silvan describes as "very vavavoom."
"It moved so well with the model," she says, noting that Cincyn's collection is wearable for a wide range of women.
"I could see those suits looking beautiful on a 50- or 60-year-old woman, and I could also see them on a 20-year-old," says Silvan. "Their clothes are for a woman of any age who has a sophisticated confidence."
Cincyn was born out of a friendship between Florek, 27, and Custodio, 26, who met as fashion students at George Brown College. They went on to work for various brands, including Crystal Siemens and Comrags, then started their own line in 2002.
Several local stores carry their clothes, including Georgie Bolesworth and Willow Grant. The duo aims to expand across Canada, then into the U.S. market.
Cincyn beat out PierreJale and Nostalgy for the award. All three are members of the Toronto Fashion Incubator, a non-profit organization that provides support to new designers.
PierreJale, created by Vancouver designers Peter Tsang and Kelly Jale, paired soft chiffon pieces with structured, military-inspired items. They also won an award for their creative use of Ultrasuede, which popped up as cropped jackets.
Nostalgy, created by Toronto-based designer Samantha Thomson, captured a Bonnie and Clyde feel with ladylike tweed skirts and chiffon blouses with quirky details and funky accessories, such as white berets, long pearl necklaces and mesh socks with pumps.
Photo By: Paultoogood Photography
