Love finds a heartbeat amidst homegrown fashions

All you need is love.

The Fashion Design Council of Canada (FDCC) utilized a Show Love theme in this year’s installment of LG Fashion Week.

Taking place from March 16-21 and also marking the 10th anniversary of the fashion event, hopes were high for a successful show this year, given the trying economic conditions.

A flourishing collection of Canada’s finest designers were exhibited including Joeffer Caoc, David Dixon and Greta Constantine. Given the variety of well-known designers, Hechtl believes Fashion Week has come a long way since its debut in a small hotel 10 years ago.

“When we kicked off LG Fashion Week it was to nurture our local talent and give them an opportunity to grow,” Said Linda Hechtl of LG Canada. “That’s part of what showing love is about.”

Along with bringing awareness to the economic recession, The Heart Truth Fashion Show, sponsored by The Heart and Stroke Foundation also aimed to bring awareness to women’s heart health.

Canadian celebrities such as Marilyn Denis (104.5 CHUM FM personality) and Tara Spencer Nairn (Corner Gas) along with the fashion designers joined together to shine light on the importance of maintaining a healthy heart.

Elissa Freeman, a spokesperson for Heart and Stroke Canada, says it is important for women to stand up and take notice about the health risks related to an unhealthy heart.

“The Heart Truth Fashion Show was very successful. The reason we think it’s a conduit is because we want women to pay attention to the No. 1 risk factor,” Freeman said.

“It is a concept that first came into the United States and we ‘Canadianized’ it and made it our own initiative by creating this fashion show.”

Showcasing a multitude of charity events, LG also set up their tents with the influence of technology, offering ways to tie in technology with Fashion Week. There were a number of product launches for media and designers to enjoy, as well as a texting challenge hosted by LG.

The LG Charity Challenge, which took place on March 19, consisted of a texting showdown of whoever could text the fastest. The winner then donated their $5000 prize to the charity of their choice.

Tony Lacavera of Globalive reigned victorious, typing “show love 1 txt at a time” in nine seconds. He contributed his winnings to Plan Canada, formally known as The Foster Parents Plan.

“It’s great we were able to remind people that we are all connected in this increasingly global community,” said Steven Theobald, of Plan Canada. “The donation will help keep children in places as far away as Zambia and Bangeladesh healthy and educated.”

Hechtl says it was important for the different types of technology to be included because telephones have began to influence way we communicate, and texting has become the most fashionable mode of communication.

“Tying back to the whole showing love theme, people express and articulate themselves through texting,” Hechtl said. “This evening, (March 19), the LG Charity Challenge was able to benefit a charity that was near to the winner’s heart.”

LG Fashion Week is also showing love to the environment by going green this time around. By eliminating the use of power generators, the Fashion Design Council of Canada decreased the emissions of methane, nitrous oxide and carbon dioxide, resulting in a less polluted environment.

“Supporting the Canadian fashion industry is a great way to bring opulence to the city,” said Ylenia Montagner, an attendee of Fashion Week. “It’s good they did constructive things for the environment; it shows that they are doing something positive for the city.”

Filed by Jessicka Loduca

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Posted: Mar 28 2009 8:40 am
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Filed under: Arts & Life Features