VANCOUVER designer Jason Matlo is breaking Canadian fashion boundaries with his dress, bridal and readyto-wear collections.
Busy, but well-grounded in his live-in studio at the edge of Yaletown where everything is modern and neat, Matlo and his team work their magic. The studio is just as one would imagine it to be - a reflection of a clear division between his personal and designer life: bed, closet and dining area on one side and mannequins, sewing machines and cutting table on the other.
Matlo's creations are currently being sold in numerous boutiques from Toronto to Boston to San Juan, but everything is designed and manufactured in Canada.
Although Matlo is among one of the busiest designers in Canada, he gladly donates a portion of his time and creative efforts to the Artists for Kids fashion photography program (see previous page).
"I'm so glad to be a part of (this program) because I feel like anything in the arts in this country is such a struggle to get to. There's not enough government funding for it," he says. "We need to get together in Vancouver . . . to really get behind our art community and definitely our up-and-coming kids."
Matlo recalls how, when he presented his collection at the project's introduction, he was inspired by the energy expressed and the future he visualized for the students.
A neutral colour palette and Victorian architectural shapes lend his Autumn/Winter 2012 collection a bold and sexy vibe, with a grouping of cutwork laces and a few black and white pattern pieces embodying this season with Matlo's signature glamour. About the strong silhouettes, Matlo says, "We kind of went a little more tailored than we have in previous seasons; we tapered our skirts a little bit narrow and everything just sort of became a little more close to the body in terms of fit for autumn-winter."
He also says that, although the lines of this collection are a little harder and more angular, they still retain their essential femininity. A self-proclaimed "blackaholic," Matlo says his own wardrobe consists of only two colours besides black.
When asked about his personal style, he responds: "I always get nervous with this question because I don't invest a lot of time and energy in my own personal style . . . but I think what people are picking up on is confidence and charm, not necessarily about what I'm wearing."
He tends to lean more towards the monochromatic from head to toe when designing his ready-to-wear collection and only introduces one colour each season. Matlo always sees things architecturally and imagines all his creations in black.
According to the designer, there's a good potential market for high fashion in Vancouver. For the moment, street-level jeans dominate, but over the last five years, people have begun to dress more interestingly.
When asked for an example of an item for fall that he has designed in an attempt to fill this gap in the local marketplace, he says he is torn for a favourite between the cutwork laces, and a dress that has a strong cowling shoulder line, like a rose. Both, however, are expressive of elegance with a practical edge.
In Vancouver, shoppers can find his designs, priced $200-$400, at Wear Else, and his ready-to-wear collection in The Room at The Bay store downtown. He also designs bridal gowns that can be custom ordered through Jason Matlo Atelier.
Jennifer Lee is a Grade 11 student at Argyle secondary who participated in the Artists for Kids fashion photography program. In the upcoming years, she plans to make her way into the fashion industry and land a job as a journalist.
