Posepod’s Underground Fashion Show

Models on the runway

Toronto is the New York of Canada. When it comes to fashion, it's a melting pot of style. People are either wearing the latest designs or creating their own look.

There is a plethora of fashion, retro, vintage and thrift stores to choose from. It’s the place to be in vogue, to be seen and to start a new hip trend.

One of the best venues to see fashion shows is at the local gothic nightclub, Savage Garden, which has been a part of the Goth scene since June of 1994. After hosting scores of fashion shows and even showcasing many local designers at the club, the owners of Savage Garden, Paul and Brenda Samuels, have finally opened their very own clothing store, Posepod. Both the club and the store are located on Queen St. in the funky downtown sewing district.

The store is run by a designer collective where one can find the works of local designers instead of the many mass produced labels you find in every city. Local designers are able to rent space, merchandise, and work in the store as well as take part in different events such as fashion shows to promote their products. Many designers are featured in the store such as Futurstate, ToDieForDesigns, Rivethead, Poison Me Purple, Monster Muffin, Blackfaerie, Ikariss Gothic, Penny Dreadful Creations, Illig and Plastik Wrap. To celebrate the opening of their store, many of the designers took part in a fabulous fashion show.

Viewing clothing on the catwalk is much better than seeing them on a rack. Seeing the clothing on the runway is a great way to be introduced to local talent and rising stars. Some of my favorite clothing of the evening was some of the designs sold by Posepod. They have a wide selection of clothing from old school, cyber or something in-between. I loved the long black velvet skirt and top trimmed in red with crimson ribbons crisscrossed and wrapped around each arm. It was very striking and romantic. I admired their PVC skirt with lycra corset and arm cinchers. The design is influenced by old school but the materials they used made it look very industrial. Their PVC bat top corset and PVC flared skirt are very cute and sweet. The way the top is cut is very flattering on the body. I loved their Lolita corset and ruffle skirt. It is all black with pink ribbons woven throughout and irresistible!

The designs from Rivethead are aptly named as their clothing is distinctly for rivetheads. There seems to be a growing demand for rivethead clothing as they also have a style that isn’t Goth or industrial but distinctly their own. The garment of theirs I liked best had a high silver and black cowl neck, sleeveless top combined with a short skirt of similar design which looked very sexy cyber space girl.

To Die For Designs best clothing for the evening were the ones for the boys. Their black and white pinstriped top with black collar was very sheik. It seems the majority of their designs go back to old school gothic.

Futurstate is providing cyber clothing and club wear for both girls and boys. Specific focus has been made on details that will glow under the black lights of the cavernous nightclub and personal home lighting. Their clothing is not too over the top so you could easily incorporate it into daily your wardrobe. They showed many pieces from T-shirts to short skirts that were luminous.

Monster Muffin also had great men’s designs. The best for the evening was the men's black eyelet top and men's black and red inset zipper pants. They have a great eye for detail and design which is pleasing and not overdone.

It was great to see a show full of new talent and inspirations. If you are interested in finding out who your local designers are I suggest you try going to your local gothic website or asking organizers of your local gothic events. They usually have a list of people that may not yet have their own stores but have a lot of talents and are looking for people just like you to wear there clothing and design things for. It is important to support your local scene and encourage it to keep developing and flourishing. It is refreshing to see new designs and ideas. It is also fun to go to your favorite Goth nightclub and see people wearing individual unique clothing instead of seeing a lot of the same thing. Luckily, our selection of designers and clothing is broadening.

Copyright 2009 Gothic Beauty Magazine. All rights reserved. This article may not be republished or rewritten.