LG Fashion Week is almost here, and it seems that Toronto is buzzing with excitement! But until next week, there are plenty of things to do and see for fashion lovers in the city. Here’s a list of the do-not-miss events happening this week:

1. God Save the Queen at The Bay (Friday, October 15th)

If there’s an event this October that makes one forget about Toronto Fashion Week altogether, this one is it. For all those Brit Fashion fans, The Room at The Bay is hosting a two-day “British Invasion”, which includes designers Mark Fast, Erdem Moralioglu, Jonathan Saunders, Charlotte Olympia Dellal, Nicholas Kirkwood, Marios Schwab and Giles Deacon showing off their designs, fresh off London Fashion Week runways. And though Thursday night is guest-list only, Friday, October 15th is free for all.

Spring 2011 trunk shows will include Charlotte Olympia at 11am, The Next Wave of British Fashion Panel Discussion at 12pm, Giles Deacon at 1pm, Erdem (woohoo!) at 2pm, Nicholas Kirkwood at 3pm, and Jonathan Saunders at 4pm. This is your chance to see Spring 2011 collections up close and personal before they even hit the stores. Definitely an opportunity not to be missed. See you there?

2. Eleven Boutique Celebrates Canadian Art & Fashion

This month, Eleven celebrates top Canadian fashion designers along with the work of local Canadian artists; beginning with an installation by Toronto born artist Jenna Pietrobon, amongst a backdrop of this season’s most coveted Fall fashions and accessories.   Closing the celebratory month is a shopping evening partnering with local neighbour, The Guild Shop, the Ontario Crafts Council’s retail gallery since 1932.
 
Eleven Art Installation
When: Now Showing until October 15th
 
Celebrating Canadian Art and Fashion
When:  Thursday October 28th, 5pm – 8pm

Eleven, a boutique that carries a lot of Canadian fashion/jewelry brands is a must-visit on your next trip to Yorkville. And if you can squeeze in some culture, while supporting Canadian art & fashion? Even better.

3. Sears Canada LG Fashion Week Promotion

As one of the Fashion Week sponsors, Sears teamed up with LG for the following fashion week promos:

– Visit one of the participating stores and fill out a ballot to win 1 of 5 V.I.P. tickets to the Sears Attitude Fashion show at LG Fashion Week on October 20, 2010.

– 1 of the 5 ticket winners will also win a LG Steam Washer & Dryer* (Selected winner must be present at the Fashion show on October 20 or will forfeit the prize).

– Purchase a new LG Steam Washer & Dryer and receive a $100 Sears Gift Card, October 8 – 24, 2010

4. Dare to Wear Love Show

Ok, so this one is not happening this week, per se. But it is for a good cause, and tickets are already available, so you’d better move fast if you’d like to attend. This year, all seats are being sold in order to raise funds for the grassroots organizations in Africa on the frontlines of the AIDS pandemic, supported by the Stephen Lewis Foundation.

At 8 p.m. on Friday, October 22, ticket holders will have the opportunity to attend an exclusive cocktail party in the Fashion Environment at Heritage Court. Following the party, guests will experience Dare to Wear Love, an uplifting and unforgettable show full of African-inspired fashion, dance and music.

More than 25 talented designers including Brian Bailey, Evan Biddell, Damzels In This Dress, David Dixon, Comrags, Linda Lundström, Lucian Matis, Pat McDonagh, Jason Meyers, Nada, Kingi Carpenter, Izzy Camilleri, and many more will produce one women’s or men’s ensemble for a mix of professional models, celebrity models and friends of the designers to wear down the runway. Each designer is given six yards of eye-catching fabrics sourced from Africa to create their one-of-a-kind look.