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Nadya TotoCanadian fashion designer with Italian roots
Country:
 Canada |
Content:
- Nadi Toto: A Beacon of Grace and Style
- Signature Style: Minimalism and Femininity
- Italian Heritage and Montreal Influences
- Montreal's Hidden Gems
- Inspiration and Creativity
- Montréalais to the Core
Nadi Toto: A Beacon of Grace and Style
A Canadian Fashion IconNadi Toto, a Canadian fashion designer with Italian roots, embodies the essence of her own creations—understated elegance, timeless grace, and quiet sophistication. A testament to the power of creativity, she seamlessly balances designing chic collections, raising a family, maintaining her physique, and exuding a serene presence.
Signature Style: Minimalism and Femininity
Toto's signature style is characterized by its effortless simplicity, ultra-feminine silhouettes, minimalist lines, and touches of romanticism. With over 50 collections under her belt since launching her eponymous label nearly 25 years ago, her designs have garnered acclaim for their celebration of comfort and refinement.
In her latest Fall/Winter 2015 collection, Toto focuses on dresses adorned with intricate lacework and featuring easy yet elegant zipper closures. "The emphasis is really on the fabric itself, because my shapes are very simple," she explains. "There's really not that much going on. It's more about the way it drapes, the fit, and the quality."
Italian Heritage and Montreal Influences
Toto's Italian heritage is evident in her intricate lace detailing, a nod to her ancestors' rich tradition of lace-making. While a longtime Montrealer, she has called the suburban enclave of Beaconsfield home for over a decade.
Her admiration for fellow Montreal designers is evident in her praise for interior decorator Eva Mazur. "First of all, she's so practical," Toto says. "She's very relatable to people because she designs for all types of people. She actually did my house, so I know the way she works. She's redone so many homes in Westmount and downtown Montreal. The transformations are incredible; the work is beautiful."
"Her design is very clean and elegant. She really believes in the whole 'less is more' kind of thing. And she has a fashion background, so she understands the way things should fit."
Montreal's Hidden Gems
Continuing the theme of talented Montrealers, Toto points to textile and visual artist Renata Morales as someone who deserves wider recognition. "She's so talented," Toto declares. "She's a designer but she hasn't really shown for Fashion Week in the past few years. But she's so gifted. She's a real artist. She's not afraid to just let her imagination run with itself, which I love. I want to just hear her name a little bit more often."
Toto's favorite Italian restaurant in Beaconsfield serves up a "ragù d'agnello," or lamb ragout, that has replaced her former favorite, a vegan ragout. She adds that Hollywood heartthrob George Clooney has been known to frequent the establishment.
She also raves about "Le Richmond," a restaurant co-owned by Montreal designer Luc Laroche. Her admiration extends to the man, the food, and the ambiance. "I still love 'Whisky Café' on Saint-Laurent Boulevard," Toto continues. "It's very dark and relaxing, and the music's great. They'll serve you a port or a whiskey. And it's just a nice scene. I'm more of a low-key, chill kind of person, so that's my scene."
Inspiration and Creativity
Expounding on her admiration for the co-owner of "Le Richmond," Toto says, "Luc and I started in fashion together many years ago. He did men's underwear for 'Les Ailes de la Mode.' And he continued on in fashion, and spent some time in California, I think. And then he came back and he opened up this bar and restaurant, which is really his heart and soul."
"Creation is like giving birth. For a creative artist, it's not just about putting out a great line. It's about your dream coming to life. I commend Luc because I know what it takes to do something like that. I think he's put a lot of himself into it."
Montréalais to the Core
Earlier in this article, Toto mentioned her focus on fitness. She reveals her approach to staying in shape: "I start my day early. Sometimes I start spinning at 6:00 a.m. I do a lot of spinning at 'Gold's Gym.' That gives me all the energy that I need for the day to create and to work. I'm a very spiritual person, but I don't do any yoga. Spin class is my yoga!"
Concluding her vibrant discourse on all things Montreal, Toto finally names her favorite Montrealer: "It would have to be the late, great Iona Monahan, the fashion writer. She had the big glasses and the iconic style. I feel like I grew up with her because my parents read 'The Gazette' and they would read Iona."
"And then when I got older, she started writing about me. She was just a different breed of journalist. I would say it was her personal style. She just had such a great sense of who she was, and it came through in her writing. [Her articles] were always interesting and informative. She was part of a great era and an important part of fashion."
Toto continues, "I would also have to say Yannick Nézet-Séguin, the conductor. I don't know enough about him or his work to say much, but I love that we have such a great, young conductor here in Montreal. And such a talented one."
Nadi Toto, herself an accomplished and celebrated Montrealer, has garnered the accolades of celebrities such as Yasmine Bleeth, Angelina Jolie, Drew Barrymore, and Rachelle Lefèvre—a testament to her enduring legacy as a beacon of style and grace.
