Page 9 - Real Style April 2018

DAVID DIXON
Toronto womenswear designer David Dixon may be an established name in the Canadian fashion landscape, but even a seasoned pro can always find new inspiration. For Spring 2018, Dix- on presented a runway show at Toronto Women’s Fashion Week, in partnership with Women’s College Hospital and surgeon Dr. John Semple. Inspired by a painting created by Semple (who is also an artist), Dixon introduced vibrant watercolour shades for spring. This was breaking ground for the longtime de- signer, who is used to crafting evening gowns in neutral shades.
“I tend to work with a fairly neutral colour palette, but Dr. Semple brought me out of that box when I saw the wa- tercolour. I’ve never done a collection without black in it. There is no black to be found in the collection at all,” Dixon says of his latest line. This season, Dixon is fond of airy pastels and encourages women to wear them. Since the painting that inspired his Spring 2018 collection included powder blues and soft yellows, Dixon featured long, flowing dresses in these shades.
While shades reminiscent of the sun and skies may be en vogue for spring, Dixon doesn’t like the term “trend.” He prefers that women set their fads, and follow their own sartorial sense. “I hate to use trends,” he says. “I really think it’s about lifestyle living and buying and in- vesting in pieces that you feel good in.”
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photos, left: Unttld lookbook, MikAel d lookbook, riGht: Che rosAles