Designers Jana Hanzel and Emilia Torabi will be making their runway debuts at Ottawa Fashion Week, held at the National Gallery on March 18 at 6 pm.  Their collection, called Panache, targets the professional woman with gorgeous vintage and haut-look inspired pieces have just the right look to stand out at the office, yet still be appropriate at the same time.

Jana states “I work from my studio for private clients, mostly business women who are not satisfied with the selection in stores and want more. I want to bring more interest, colors and a fresh breeze to the Ottawa fashion scene.”  And colour is right.  While the collection does have the traditional office shades of black and grey, there are also pinks and purples – especially in outerwear and hats.  Yes, hats.  Pretty, pretty cloche hats and hats that look like they could be in Anna Karenina.  We as a society have somehow lost the art of hat-wearing.  How many women wear hats today?  Even the early 1960s-inspired looks that were “in” a couple of seasons ago didn’t pique interest.  However, one look at these pieces will change your mind.

It is perhaps these looks, ones that aren’t necessarily “on trend” that we should be focusing more on.  Panache allows women to personalize each piece, and according to Emilia, can be “modified into any fashion trend.”  These are definitely investment pieces worth taking a look at.

Fashion Week tickets are $20/show and $40 for the weekend.  For more information, please visit www.ottawafashionweek.ca.