FRONT ROW MAG’S EXCLUSIVE FASHION WEEK COVERAGE
Every Fashion Week we’re engrossed in the forward thinking looks on and off the runway. We sat down with three of Toronto’s front row females to chat about their sartorial inspirations, and how to make it through a week of working all day, and witnessing the new collections all night.
FRONT ROW PAPER DOLL SERIES
Ainsley Kerr, 27, events specialist, Rethink Breast Cancer
A supporter of Canadian fashion, Ainsley Kerr, who studied theatre and film at Queen’s University, is a fashion week front row staple and always has a packed social calendar. We first got to know the lovely Kerr (and her equally lovely mum) last season at LG Fashion Week, and immediately appreciated her classic and sometimes over the top (in a good way, of course!) sense of dress. It’s no wonder her paper doll was the most detailed of them all.
FrontRowMag: Who are your favourite designers?
Ainsley Kerr: I don’t like the word favourite, except for when it comes to ice cream flavours. I’m an avid supporter of Canadian fashion and have been since I was a teenager. My first loves were Joeffer Caoc, Jennifer Halchuk and Richard Lyle (Mercy), and Julia Grieve and Peter Friesen (Preloved). Over time, my closet size has grown to accommodate my evolving taste and style to now include designers like NADA and Brandon R. Dwyer.
FRM: How would you describe your personal style?
AK: My apartment looks like girl-power exploded in it. I’m a girly-girl to the max and enjoy expressing my femininity through fashion. I love old Hollywood glamour and while I try to keep up-to-speed on trends, I am not tied to them. I don’t believe in the ‘do’s and don’ts’ of fashion. When I get up in the morning, I dress for myself and in what makes me feel good – even if that means wearing a ballet-style ball-gown to a denim event.
FRM: How do you survive fashion week each season? What is your strategy and are there any tricks that you can share?
AK: Hydration and costume changes. There’s nothing more depressing than sitting in the same outfit from morning until late night. I know I’ve been criticized for this but it’s honestly just a way to take a breath and re-charge. People love to complain during fashion week about everything from show locations to show times to how badly their feet hurt. Whenever I feel myself getting crabby, I stop and remember why we’re all here – to promote and celebrate fashion.
FRM: What’s one item in your closet that you would die without?
AK: I would die without a lot of things in my life but items in my closest would not be one of them. However, if I had to pick one it would be this stunning, deep blue Guy Laroche evening/cocktail dress that my mother purchased when she was about my age.
FRM: Is there one trend that you’ve worn that you now regret wearing?
AK: I regret most of my outfit choices between the ages of 19-22. I blame it on the fact that I was still exploring my personal style. My top two regrets are:
1. The wide legged pants I owned in high school (you know the ones you can fit your entire body into one side) and the tube tops I wore with them
2. A fuzzy bright blue Muppet fur jacket. I still can’t believe my University roommates let me go out with it on!
FRM: Who are you inspired by when it comes to fashion?
AK: I am inspired by old school Hollywood glamour, think Lauren Bacall and Audrey Hepburn, and modern day glamour queens such as Lulu Guinness and Victoria Beckham
FRM: What draws you to fashion?
AK: Fashion can be emotional. I could be having the crappiest of days and when I put on a gorgeous dress, I feel one hundred times better. I approach investing in fashion much like an art-collector does with paintings. I am also mesmerized by the inner and outer workings of the fashion world from the designers themselves to the buyers to the media.
Paper Dolls illustrated by Jill Monsod
