“Ladies and gentlemen, if you see an empty seat in front of you please feel free to take it,” is not usually heard at a runway show, but it was opening night of Ottawa Fashion Week on Feb 17.

Once the first collection began, the small audience made sense. The black scuffmarks on white cowboy boots and tacky jewellery in Elena’s Creations were hard to ignore. Models wore arm length satin gloves, bright-red lipstick, and fur shawls; an attempt to look glamorous instead looked cheap.

Next down the runway was Amanda Emmanuel’s “Hidden Treasures.” Drawing inspiration from exotic birds and plants, her collection consisted of bright-printed silk dresses.  There’s an evident incorporation of city chic as well.  Prints with multi-coloured skyscrapers and telephone lines were blended with tropical flowers and paired with black spandex leggings. The models wearing canary yellow, hot pink, and orange walked in time with the high tempo music, their sleek ponytails swishing to the drum beat.

FrAsh’s show began with a woman in a black tutu dancing to ominous sounding music. Covered from neck to breast in white feathers, the white powdered models walked barefoot. Inspired by Joan of Arc, the gold-plated necklaces and plastic arm cuffs resemble medieval armour. After another ballet dancer, this time in white leaves, the final look enters: a dramatic gold headpiece with points in all directions.

Up next was the shiny retro leather jumpsuits of !N.UI. The vintage throwback consisted of 80’s oversized frames, crimped hair parted down the middle, and lots of cheetah print. Leather paneling on the back of a wool sweater gave the knitwear a much-needed edge — which the next collection lacked.

Illyria Design’s nude pallet and plain silhouettes made for a boring runway show. The pieces were something a working woman could wear to the office, but Reitmans does the same thing for much cheaper.

The best of the night was saved for last. Designer Andy Nguyen’s Y!D.N.A. Collection was nothing short of a dark spectacle. And in case you were curious, his leather outfits are dance-proof as demonstrated by the opening dance number that featured a girl popping out of a crate stamped with the design label.

Looking like they’ve been dug up from the grave, models wore wrinkled, and stained garments that could have very well be eaten by moths.

The first model’s spooky appearance saw her covered head to toe in black face paint; she carried a lantern and wore ripped nylons over top of high heels.

Nguyen’s was the only collection of the night that featured menswear as well. One highlight was a shirtless male model wearing black combat boots, boxers, and silver studded gas mask. The mix of textures and fabrics like tweed and leather were impressively detailed. The show was provocative and off putting, exemplified by a model who had a bundle of cigarettes forcibly held in his mouth by a wrap-around strap.

— Photo by Portia Baladad