After four years of painful pattern drafting, pin-pricked fingers and popped-open zippers, fourth-year students in Ryerson University’s fashion program showed the results of their hard work with their final collections at an annual year-end runway show on Thursday night.

Held in the Ryerson Theatre, the show was a huge success, showcasing the immense amount of creative talent  developed within Ryerson’s fashion school walls– talent that goes far beyond the quality and appearance of the clothing designs. Everything about the execution was impressive, from the electronic soundtrack of the runway and professional promo video shown in short sequences throughout the show, to the fog and lighting effects that mirrored the futuristic and mysterious concept of the production.

 “Canada’s future frockstars,” tweeted Flare Fashion Magazine live from the show.

Here are some of the student collections that graced the catwalk:

The show progressed without any technical or mechanical glitches, except for a broken zipper on a bridal gown. Unmoved, the model walked down the runway with confidence and ease, one hand clutching the open side seams together. The  Spring/Summer 2011 collections incorporated many mainstream trends for the season: 

White & Minimalistic

Monica Kisielewicz was influenced by “simple beauty” for her well-tailored collection, which included this all-white ensemble. Eunsil Ahn was inspired by nature and transparency, and created a simple white thigh-length blouse. Aicha Wali meanwhile, was inspired by elegance in the Middle East, and designed an angelic dress using tulle and asymmetry.  

Fur

Fur is not an easy material to work with, but Brittany Mannetje and Tammy Chan used it to embellish a collar and vest shown on outerwear pieces, while Stacie Moltner included an orange-camel-coloured fur jacket in her Rock’n’Roll-inspired collection.

Cut-outs

Diana Baba showed shoulder cut-outs in her edgy grunge-urban design, while Jihye Kim included a cut-out cocktail number in her evening dress collection. Paula Suehiro paired cut-outs with bright and bold neon colors in her swimwear collection.

Military/Utilitarian-Inspired

Nuisha Amiri designed a pair of pants in army green, with an elastic waistband. Kalie Johnston’s utilitarian look was inspired by nature and farmland, and the floor length, collard, button-down dress by Kyla Atlas was inspired by menswear and clothing from the early 1900’s.

Sheer Sheen

Jimin Lee included a simple black sheer tank with a breast pocket in his collection, while Solange Yepez incorporated sheer inserts in her dresses and leggings, and Judy Wong broke up solid black fabric with some sheer in the midsection of a dress.

Sparkling Eveningwear

Designer Lauren De Bellis combined a gold sequined top with a striking short green skirt and longer rich, sheer and printed green fabric. Aicha Wali used gold sequins in combination with a sheer, mustard-crème coloured fabric, and also designed silver-sequinned shorts. Aarzoo Singh, inspired by the lavish Indian Maharaja-lifestyle, used pearls, along with sequin-studded “body armour,” for what she refers to as “the modern day woman’s battle of cocktail and dinner parties.”

Bridal Wear

Kirsten Schaefer’s wedding dress designs incorporated a white, off-white and cream colour scheme. Her designs were elegant and classic, as opposed to Yelena Plokhova, who used black and grey tiers and 3-D flower embellishments in her designs, and Guinevere Mah, who modernized her design with layers of tulle and fuchsia-pink fabric.

Favourites!

Lauren Marshall mastered the boxy and gathered sleeves in the blazer, top, and dress shown in her collection. This peach piece combines sophistication with youthful appeal, and can be taken from day-to-night wear. Jimin Lee’s L.A.-inspired garments create a modern and effortlessly stylish appearance—these slouchy grey trousers included! Lastly, in a design suitable for any lavish beach party or honeymoon getaway, Katherine Persaud put forth this exquisite purple wrap swimsuit.

Audience members were in awe as Mass Exodus 2011: Zenith+Nadir came to a wrap, and the two models from the promo video appeared on stage, only to disappear moments later down what appeared to be an underground fog-filled hatch. Everyone left the show with a free copy of the Zenith+Nadir magazine!

Though Ryerson’s fashion students have been putting on fashion shows for more than fifty years ( Mass Exodus in particular since 1988), this was their first year producing a Mass Exodus magazine.  The publication, like the show, was very well put together. It provides information about the  inspirations behind the collections of the 56 designers who showed their collections on the runway, and also highlights the work of other students in the fashion communication and design programs at Ryerson. Visit the official Mass Exodus 2011 blog for some behind-the-scenes information about the show!