Fashion Cares Presents Fashion Scares

Written By: Kim Cuachon

Photography By: Krist Papas

I bet you Sir Alfred Hitchcock didn’t think that his work would be intertwined with haute couture. That The Birds would make an appearance as centerpieces on cocktail rounds. And that his illustrious Psycho shower scene would serve as a back drop for a $10 a shot photo booth. It was a night of dramatic design, performance and ensembles, paying homage to the mastermind of terror who said it best, “What is drama but life with the dull bits cut out.”

Psycho shower photo booth

The 22nd Annual Fashion Cares presents Fashion Scares was held Saturday night at the Metro Convention Centre, and it brought together a wide spectrum of Toronto’s Socialites. The red carpet, decorated with the who’s who of the night, included, television host and celebrity designer Steven Sabados, City TV News host Anne Mroczkowski, and Fashion Cares Chair, Michael King to name a few. It also included, ice-skating grim reapers.

Steven Sabados (above) Michael King and Katy Perry (bellow)

Ice skating grim reapers

Fashion Icon and Honourary Chair, Jeanne Beker, kicked off the festivities, with a heart-felt introduction to the evening’s cause, “Like a phoenix that has risen…we are all here because of the people who we have loved and loss to AIDS.” To date, Fashion Cares has raised over $10 million dollars for the Aids Committee of Toronto (ACT), the largest aids organization in Toronto.

The host of the evening was Canadian Filmmaker, David Furnish, with his statuesque, co-host, Canadian Model, Yasmine Warsame. Who educated the audience on the affects of AIDS in Toronto, “Everyone is vulnerable and capable of contracting AIDS…two people become affected each day. That is why more awareness and education is necessary.”

Fritz Helder and the Phantoms, brought up the excitement dressed as glamourous skeletons, rhinestoned out from head to toe. Followed by a costume competition of the top ten best-dressed attendees, handpicked off the red carpet, for bragging rights of “Best Costume”.

Fritz Helder and the Phantoms

Fade in the unforgettable Hitchcock theme song, complete with the Psycho, Norman Bates house backdrop, and the fashion show was underway. The extravagant twenty piece orchestra and members of the National Ballet of Canada, provided on stage dramatization and reenactments of eminent scenes from Hitchcock’s classics, such as Psycho, The Birds and Vertigo. Designers included Pink Tartan, David Dixon, Greta Constantine and Izzy Camilleri.

Katy Perry got the crowd singing along to her hit, “I Kissed a Girl” and Kreesha Turner, provided soulful jazz and r&b flavour. Dame Shirley Bassey headlined the event, with her 1971, James Bond theme song “Diamonds Are Forever.”

(left to right) Dame Shirley Bassey, Katy Perry and Kreesha Turner

Fashion Cares Producer and Artistic Director Philip Ing of MAC Cosmetics in an earlier interview with Fashion Television said, “We’ve already got enough make up on, and that mixed with the high fashion that comes out every year…why not make it happen with Halloween, and the timing has just worked out great.”

With all the elements, Fashion Cares, has exceeded all expectations yet again. Just like a well-directed film, and with that in mind, in Hitchcock’s words, “A good film is when the price of the dinner, the theatre admission and the babysitter were worth it,” And boys and girls, it was.