Courtesy of Mushy Pony.com

Last night at LG Fashion Week, the Cowgirls decided to experiment by bringing along two very straight men to help us decide which collections were sexy, and which were scary. After grabbing ourselves a Tetrapak from the bar (which we later discovered was not filled with Pinot Gris, but merely water) and a handful of pretzels, we made our way into the Pat McDonagh show.

What do you get when you mix British military uniforms, sophisticated summerwear, flowing frocks, and dead birds? One messy collection. And judging by the fit of the blazers and the hem of the skirts, it appeared creativity was chosen far over practicality or flattery. The models were severely skinny and walked with a sense of unpleasing discomfort or constipation, and the pieces were nothing we hadn’t seen before. That being said, our man-friends decided there were some dead sexy pieces worth making note of. A particular dress with tight bodice and flowing feathers caused quite the smirk on their faces, so we’ll give the designer a pat on the back for that one.

Courtesy of Mushy Pony.com

Next up, Lundstrom. Class and elegance don’t even begin to describe the reputation this Canadian designer has for her collections. The first half of the show gave us exactly what we wanted: her trademark jackets and draping sweaters were stunning as predicted, with neutral tones and high quality fabrics. The second half of the show introduced us to the reinvention of the brand. Short cut sequin dresses, pops of colour on the right outfit – it simply made us want to go shopping. As the final piece walked onto the runway, a floor-length black velvet gown with diamond detailing, our faces lit up. It was agreed across the board: Lundstrom was it.

Courtesy of Mushy Pony.com

Finally, after a short break avec proper glass of Pinot Gris and gawking at a few bizarre personalities in the showroom, we entered once again to view the collection of Project Runway’s finalist: Evan Biddell. Normally, comic book spandex tops and MC Hammer pants don’t bode well with the Cowgirls. When wearability is out the window, we prefer to turn to Haute Couture gods such as Alexander McQueen for inspiration – as opposed to futuristic, cheap-looking ensembles. However, the audience seemed to think differently. Gay men were thrilled, yelling bravos and congrats the designer’s way, and our friends were drooling over a few extra-short skirts shown marching past them. At the end of the day, it all came down to personal taste. Three completely different collections, three friends with completely different opinions, and one article to bring it all together.

– The Cowgirls

Courtesy of McQueen

The self-titled “Pink Sheep” of the family, Lee McQueen, was best known for his controversial designs. His fame escalated when he designed a jacket for Prince Charles containing the words “I am a cunt” scribbled on the lining. His collections were known to push boundaries to extremes, forcing fragile models to face their biggest challenges walking down the catwalk (12 inch heels, 60 pound bodices, etc.) This four-time winner of the British Designer of the Year award will be greatly missed, but his inspiring creations will live on forever. Long live the Queen.

– The Cowgirls.