TORONTO – The head designer of Pink Tartan paid homage to the past and reflected upon the future, unveiling a Canadian-inspired collection with a modern ’60s twist while also looking ahead to bringing her fashions to TV.
Kimberley Newport-Mimran has previously looked to iconic ’60s-era model Jean Shrimpton as a muse for her line. This time around, another notable cover girl from the decade who was featured in a well-known magazine spread provided the visuals the designer needed to help propel her vision for the collection forward.
The fall-winter line was inspired by the famed 1966 Vogue editorial “The Great Fur Caravan” photographed by legendary lensman Richard Avedon. It featured German model Veruschka braving the elements in fashionable furs and elaborate headwraps.
“She could actually be transformed and that could be a modern-day shoot because there’s nothing that kind of made it feel dated,” Newport-Mimran said in a backstage interview at Toronto’s World MasterCard Fashion on Wednesday prior to her show.
“I loved Veruschka. I loved her wind-licked hair. I loved the strength in her face, I loved the way her clothes draped…. She fighting the cold in style, and I felt that that was exactly what I’m saying in this collection.”
Newport-Mimran said she focused on staying warm through use of layering with the ensembles teamed with oversized accessories like chunky scarves and textured, furry mittens. The range encompassed a mix of knitwear, leather and fur – both real and faux – with shaggy toppers, striking plaid-on-plaid pattern pairings and houndstooth print adding a stylistically graphic dynamic to the collection.
No look on the runway captured the feeling of cocooning from the cold better than a model enveloped within a garment reminscent of a giant duvet adorned with fur trim.
“There’s a lot of textural fabric in this collection, and there’s a heavy wool sweater that reminds you of being in the cabin up north with the Icelandic pattern on it, but really mixed with modern scuba textures and air knits. It’s really a play on fabrics,” said Newport-Mimran.
Peter Pan-collared dresses and flared skirts offered a fun, flirty feminine touch while motorcycle jackets and hardware elements featured on coats lent a tough yet chic look to the line.
Newport-Mimran will soon shift gears from cool-weather styles to spring as she showcases a curated selection of goods from her downtown Toronto boutique on the airwaves.
The designer is slated to make her debut on The Shopping Channel live on March 30 at 8 a.m., 1 p.m. and 8 p.m. (all times Eastern). Ranging in price from $95 to $395, the collection will also be available to shop online at tsc.ca.
“It was really a way for me to talk to my customer and help my customer have access to Pink Tartan, because she’s really a Canadian girl who wants to have style.”
Comments