Arts & Life News

Stephan Caras show conquers fashion week

Design duo leaves fashion crowds seeing red

By Sayada Nabi on .

Stephan Caras is a brand named after one man, but designed by two.

The two creative minds came together for Toronto Fashion Week mesmerizing the audience with hues of red and draping fabrics in RUBi, their 2015 fall and winter collection.

The founder and designer of the brand, Stephan Caras, is a familiar face on the Toronto and international fashion scenes. He was born in Greece, studied in Australia and worked in European fashion houses.

His co-designer and son, Kyriako Caras, graduated with a degree in archeology from the University of Toronto.

Being a part of the fashion world was inevitable for the younger Caras.

“Even as a tiny, little guy my dad would bring me into the studio and I’ve spent all the countless hours with him,” he said.

As he got older he began to spend more time in the design studio, inspired to create and elaborate on intricate designs.

“My first design was a sequin dress that my father made. I was just a child but I drew a sketch as he was making the dress. On the back I drew a shape of a bird with wings,” Caras remembered.

But that wasn’t his proudest moment; he recalled that he was the proudest the first time he put something together.

In his early teens, Caras took scraps of fabric from the studio and made a colour block jersey dress. “I didn’t want to use up too much of his (father) fabric, we had to fill orders and prepare for shows,” Caras said.

Although working together is rewarding, it doesn’t come without its challenges.

“The biggest challenge is when two people have a different direction in terms of creativity,” the younger Caras said.

The duo overcomes this issue by taking a step back, doing other work and coming back to the particular design later.

Street style, outfits off the runway. (SAYADA NABI)
Canadian fashion model Stacey McKenzie attends the Stephan Caras show. (SAYADA NABI)
The show opened with contrasts of red and black gowns. (SAYADA NABI)
A short jersey dress, with a mid cutout. (SAYADA NABI)
Black shorts paired with a sleek blazer with intricate details on the sleeves. (SAYADA NABI)
A backless jumpsuit with a laced neckline. (SAYADA NABI)
A black gown, styled with a shiny buckle around the waist. (SAYADA NABI)
Lace sleeves pop out of a textured cape. (SAYADA NABI)
Bright red fabric combined with lace, to create a daring gown. (SAYADA NABI)
A dress that has a slim plunging neckline with a flaring bottom. (SAYADA NABI)
A regal design combining previously seen lace, buckles and fabrics. (SAYADA NABI)
The show came to a close with a jumpsuit, designed with a beautifully draped train flowing behind it. (SAYADA NABI)
Kyriako Caras, left, and Stephan Caras, right, together on the runway after the show. (SAYADA NABI)

The show was successful and the subject of much praise on social media. It represented the cornerstone of the brand: feminine sensuality.

Canadian actress Amanda Brugel tweeted that the Stephan Caras show was her favourite of the entire fashion week.