Taking Fashion to Heart (I)- Calgary's Heart Truth Fashion Show, September 22, 2012 PART I

Written by Tracey MacCorquodale and photos by Zev Abosh (PhotoArt4U)

If any fashion show this year took runway production to the next level, it was the Calgary Heart Truth Fashion show held Saturday, September 22 at 8^th Avenue Place. Of course it takes an amazing group of people to successfully execute a talent infused production, and nothing quite garners team work like fundraisers that seek to empower and save women.

The Heart Truth campaign is a national public health initiative and volunteer-based charity launched by The Heart and Stroke Foundation in 2008. It aims to promote healthy living and create awareness of heart disease and stroke –a very worthy initiative considering it is the No. 1 cause of death for Canadian women, beating out all cancers combined.

The campaign aims to achieve its goal by putting on glamorous fashion shows that feature the red dress, which is the campaign’s symbol. It is said to represent “women’s courage and passion and their power for change as they share the truth with others and raise awareness about the importance of heart health”. This event has taken place for the past 5 years in Toronto and has now fortunately been brought to Calgary – and hopefully for years to come.

Eleven designers, including Aleem Arif, Marsina King, and Lara Presber were approached to help launch this infamous red dress fundraiser. Local celebrities then sported these custom designed garments that ranged from floor length gowns to velvet jumpsuits. Supporters of the cause were treated to not only visual art, but audible art as well as International Violinist Sophie Serafino opened the show performing “Palladio” by Karl Jenkins. Opera singer Adam Fisher later closed the event by singing “The Phantom of the Opera” as models from Sophia Models International fiercely strutted past him (Adam himself is represented by Sophia and modelled earlier in the show). If that wasn’t enough the evening also featured many pieces from local fashion designer Paul Hardy’s fall collection. Paul himself was unable to attend the show in person as he is currently in Paris shopping for fabrics for his Spring 2013 collection.

The evening was an inspiring mix of cultural elements that seamed together beautifully, showcasing once again the great arts scene that is blossoming in Calgary and proving the city worthy of its “Cultural Capital of Canada” title for 2012.