When I stepped into the space last weekend for 1664 Fashion Art Toronto’s 20th anniversary showcase, it didn’t feel like a runway event. It felt like a cultural time capsule cracked open and bursting forward. From May 29th to June 1st, this city’s most radical fashion stage reminded us why it has endured: it doesn’t just show fashion. It questions it, reclaims it, and lets it bleed into performance, movement, and identity.
In a city still learning to hold space for fashion that isn’t Eurocentric or commercial-first, @FashionArtToronto has always been the loud, necessary outlier. This year was no different, except the production felt more polished, and the message, even sharper.
From the Margins to the Main Stage
Opening night was electric. Models of all genders, sizes, and skin tones claimed the runway with the kind of ease that only comes when you know you’re exactly where you belong. 1664 Fashion gave us a bold showing from various designers.
DonTalato took the runway at Fashion Art Toronto, and it felt like a powerful blend of craftsmanship and conscience. The collection spotlighted pieces that were meticulously handcrafted, each stitch and pattern whispering ethical intent and artisan pride. Rich textures and structured simplicity radiated a sense of grounded elegance, yet each look carried an undercurrent of boldness and intention. It wasn’t just fashion, it was a statement about responsibility, rebirth, and the artistry behind making something truly meaningful. DonTalato didn’t just present clothes; they presented a vision of what fashion could be.
OAMA’s runway moment at Fashion Art Toronto felt like a love letter to the bold, beautiful, and unapologetically feminine. For night 3 OAMA, the Resort-Wear 2026 collection didn’t just walk, it floated. Swirls of magenta, citrus, and azure danced with every ruffle, like a color-rich breeze that had somewhere fabulous to be. The silhouettes were soft yet intentional: off-shoulder gowns, cinched waists, and volume that moved like music. It wasn’t just fashion, it was flirtation reimagined, drenched in confidence. For those of us who dress clients to feel like art, OAMA delivered a masterclass in joyful sensuality.
The Menswear Moment
As a stylist focused on men of color, I was watching closely for what this year would say about masculinity in motion. Let’s just say: it roared.
Patrick Yee’s debut under the Son of Man label at Fashion Art Toronto didn’t just blur the line between streetwear and tailoring; it shredded it and rebuilt something special. His Spring/Summer 2026 collection played with proportion and structure in a way that felt both rebellious and refined. Powder blues and crisp whites were cut, twisted, and reimagined into elongated shirts, layered skirt-pants, and split-leg trousers that hinted at uniform but landed somewhere far more avant-garde. With AirPods Max worn like crown jewels and sleek Pumas grounding the looks, Yee delivered a quiet flex: streetwear that’s grown up, but still knows how to stir the room.
But the sleeper hit was Ethan Cordner. At just 19, the self-taught designer unveiled a tight series of looks that felt like luxe punk poetry. Distressed leathers, raw edges, and sharp tailoring came together in what can only be described as controlled rebellion. It was moody, masculine, and magnetic—proof that Cordner’s brand, Distorted Wardrobe, isn’t just a name; it’s a manifesto. Every stitch spoke of rockstar energy with couture-level execution. If this is what he’s doing before 20, the city better pay attention, this kid is fashion’s next disruptor
20 Years of Disruption
What makes 1664 Fashion Art Toronto worth celebrating after two decades isn’t just its commitment to boundary-pushing aesthetics. It’s the fact that it has always been a platform for voices that fashion’s mainstream still treats like an afterthought, queer designers, BIPOC creatives, gender-expansive models, artists who don’t separate their politics from their palette.
Looking Ahead
This wasn’t just a show. It was a call to remember fashion’s role in constructing self and community. In a moment where style is becoming increasingly homogenized by trend cycles and algorithm-fed aesthetics, FAT remains a necessary outpost for creative rebellion, especially for those of us who never saw ourselves on runways growing up.
Shout-out to the organizers, the stylists, the glam teams, and the designers who refused to water it down in the name of sponsorships or palatability. As someone who styles and tells stories for men of color, this weekend reignited my belief in why representation matters not just in the boardroom, but on the runway too.
Until next season, keep dressing like you mean it.
Follow the pulse of style and substance at @refined_hue and stay tapped into emerging voices in global fashion culture.
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