‘FASHION’ kicked off festival season and celebrated our September issue in glamorous style with a guest list that included Canadian icons Coco Rocha, Kirsten Owen and Irina Lăzăreanu, along with Toronto’s most fashionable faces.
The dress code was “modern red carpet,” the cocktails were flowing and the supermodels were working the step and repeat at FASHION’s The Ones 2023.
To celebrate our September 2023 issue starring Coco Rocha, Kirsten Owen, Irina Lăzăreanu, Jessica Stam and Winnie Harlow, and mark the start of festival season, FASHION hosted its inaugural The Ones party on September 9 at the Lillian Massey building at 157 Bloor Street West, the historic location in Toronto’s Mink Mile that famously housed Club Monaco for more than 20 years.
The Ones 2023 brought together more than 500 of Canada’s most stylish and influential fashion industry guests, from designers and artists to supermodels Coco Rocha, Kirsten Owen and Irina Lăzăreanu for an evening of immersive brand activations, Champagne, cocktails, canapés — and a rollicking dance party.
After walking the black carpet and grabbing a welcome glass of Taittinger Champagne, guests who wanted to live their best supermodel life could visit the Kilian Paris Discovery Bar to sample fragrances and pose at the Don’t Be Shy photo booth. Next, a stop into the Tiffany & Co. salon was all but mandatory, and made it hard to resist trying on elegant pieces from iconic collections including various styles from the Lock Collection. All that posing make you hungry? Partygoers were invited to indulge at a fresh Oyster Bar + Prawn Cocktail station, or in the bite-sized steak tartare, caviar-topped blini or mushroom vol au vent being offered throughout.
Across the way, guests were encouraged to check out the Philosophy Skincare bar + photo booth featuring Dose of Wisdom, the bouncy skin reactivating serum, where they could sample products and indulge in another stylish photo opp.
Bevies flowed throughout The Ones’ chic venue including cocktails from the World Class Canada Bar, wine from Henry of Pelham, cold ones from Peroni, mocktails by Seedlip and ice-cold sparkling water from Perrier. All through the historic building, luxe contemporary floral arrangements from May Flowers added the finishing touches to the event’s elevated vibe.
Finally, partygoers could make their way down to the lower level dance party where a giant disco ball sparkled and DJ Karim Olen Ash turned out hit after hit to an energetic dance floor bathed in pink light. There, Canada’s most fashionable boogied in their modern red carpet looks that included sparkly minis, sheer slips, silky gowns and strong-shouldered power suits fit for a runway. The competition was intense, but best-dressed of the evening would have to be a three-way tie between supermodels Coco Rocha in a graphic Greta Constantine gown, Kirsten Owen in a cool oversized grey velvet blazer by Maria Karimi and Irina Lăzăreanu in a sleek suit by Édito Simons. Honorable mentions go to CAFA nominee Dorian Who in a textured co-ord set and thigh-high latex boots and Olympic gold medalist Tessa Virtue in a striking red suit.
Check out the gallery below where we’ve rounded up all the most memorable fashion from The Ones 2023, along with a look at the stunning venue, immersive activations and our gift bag packed with goodies from Kilian Paris, Philosophy, NARS Makeup, Clarins Beauty, Uber, May Flowers and Belif.
Special thanks to the following:
Kilian Paris, Tiffany & Co., Uber, Philosophy, World Class Canada, Taittinger Brut Réserve Champagne, Tanqueray No. Ten Gin, Seedlip, Henry of Pelham, Peroni Nastro Azzurro, Perrier Water, NARS Makeup, Clarins Beauty, elle cuisine and May Flowers.
