The Designer Darling Spills On Her Reality Show, NYFW, and Her Fave Spots To Hang in Toronto

It’s 11:15 p.m. on Boxing Day, and Toronto-based fashion designer, Amanda Lew Kee has just arrived at Maison Mercer Nightclub, fashionably late. Clad in the ‘Shenae Grimes’ dress, paired with her very own designs – a Nappa leather studded jacket and spiked belt – both from her Fall/Winter 2010 collection, Lew Kee is puckered up in her signature electric kool-aid blue lipstick, of course. Encircling her wrists are knotted clustered studs, Swarovski crystals and textured cubes, and a chain of studs – three bracelets from her very own jewelry line, alongside other bought accessories.

But don’t let her well put together ensemble fool you. She took just ten minutes to get ready – eight for make-up and two to slip on her outfit. Fascinating stuff.

Last night, Lew Kee co-hosted the Drama Queen fete, with Canadian fashion duo Dsquared2 and well-loved socialite Lena Love.

“I was approached by my friends, Ralf Madi and Zark Fatah, who own the club,” she explains. “They wanted a more fashion-forward crowd.” In attendance were notable figures like Canadian artist Blake McGrath, and fashion designer Kirk Pickersgill from luxury line Greta Constantine. The packed house of 600 guests ripped up the dance floor to the beats of DJ Jamal and Vivie-Ann from BLOND:ISH. As for Love, she rocked it out, as door host, in her crazy big blonde wig and huge fur jacket!

Even as Lew Kee left at 3 a.m., the party was still going on.

Keeping her finger on the pulse of the city, Lew Kee will soon co-host another holiday event –
the Windsor Ball New Year’s Eve, with her partner Jaclyn Genovese, from Jacflash, at the luxurious Windsor Arms Hotel. This time, it will be for an even bigger guest list of about 700 party-goers.

“The Windsor Arms is known for their international boutique luxury and that is exactly what guests should expect!” she says. The invitation also promises champagne, hor d’oeuvres, music by Wamber resident DJ Perry Gilman, and a special guest appearance by fashion designer Jason Meyers from Project Runway.

“It is important to attend industry events and remain current,” she says. “Building a network and knowing the industry inside out is always an advantage.”  

Born and raised in Toronto, she is half Filipino, half Chinese, and 100% pure talent. Lew Kee has been named one of the top Canadian designers in the September issue of Nylon  and “One of 25 Torontonians Who Make Stuff Happen Every Day,” by Eye Weekly this month. Globally, WeAr
magazine will also be heralding Lew Kee as the designer to - it will be released in eight different languages in January.

And did I mention that she only turned 22 last month?   

Since graduating in April, the fresh Ryerson alum has already had her inaugural show at LG Fashion Week this past October – to rave reviews – with even a tweet from Flare’s Lisa Tant! A week later, Lew Kee was featured again with her Spring/Summer 2011 collection in the first annual KA Best of Canada 2010 Benefit Event, where her models walked off private jets (I know!) in a 35,000 square feet private jet hangar at Starlink Aviation, in Dorval, QC.,

In addition to a notable mention in KA Magazine’s One Year Anniversary limited edition, Lew Kee has graced a gamut of other magazines in recent months, including Star, Look Flare, Toronto Life, Fashion, and Lifestyle, among others.

Lew Kee will soon garner even more buzz with two special projects - a jewelry line under her Signature collection -- which is already available in Canada, and soon, Asia and the Netherlands -- and a reality show in the works with Tricon Films. It will follow her young entrepreneurial lifestyle, along with Jaclyn Genovese from Jacflash, and the two eldest sons of internationally acclaimed chef Susur Lee, Levi and Kai Bent-Lee.

But she’s just warming up.

This February, Lew Kee will be the premier Ryerson grad to appear at New York’s Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week AND she’s returning to LG Fashion Week in March, too. Now, that is called momentum.

Today, she speaks to WOMAN.ca.

LG Fashion week this year was a big thing for you. Be honest. Did you change a million times before deciding on your outfit?
I knew what to wear right away. I wanted to be comfortable and stylish, and I didn’t want to outshine the collection. My transit long-sleeved muted beige knit dress from Jacflash was perfect, paired with black tights, black wedges -- ideal for running around backstage -- and a thin black belt that was tied. I wore my signature blue lipstick that was also worn by the models and front row viewers, including The Fashion Collective and Robin Kay, as well as bracelets from my jewelry line called Accessories x AMANDALEWKEE, under my Signature collection.

What exactly was going through your head when your show began? At the end, how did you feel walking down the runway with all your models?
I was backstage, watching the live stream steadily. I was so focused that I can't remember what exactly was going through my head during the show, hoping that the crowd would receive the collection well, and knowing that my family was sitting front row. Erika Larva from Monarch Events Group did a great job with the choreography of the show - I wasn't so keen about walking the runway, but I am very glad that she talked me into it.

So, I have to ask, what inspired you to put on blue lipstick in the first place? Many women are now following suit. How often do you wear it when out and about in Toronto?
Last year, I started to wear blue lipstick, which replaced my black lipstick after it became 'fashionable.’ I like to have fun with what I wear; fashion shouldn't be taken too seriously. I wear blue lipstick at least twice a week.

You had a very unique soundtrack for your show. I’ve tried to figure out the music by watching and rewatching a YouTube clip of the show. It’s so good! Why and how did you choose it?
A dedicated intern helped me with the soundtrack to my show. The mix portrays my general feeling about the collection and experience creating the line. The show started with “Ice Hotels” by Dinosaur Bones, which has a very calm start with a theatrical buildup that lead into an intricate transition of Arcade Fire’s “Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels),” and ending with the triumphant “Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains),” another track by Arcade Fire.

Your Spring/Summer 2011 is much more feminine compared to your Fall/Winter 2010/2011 collection of leather filled and gothic inspired streetwear. Although your recent designs were inspired by a trip to Muskoka, was it also a reflection of change in your own personal wardrobe?
I wouldn't say that the collection is a reflection of change in my personal wardrobe - I still wear a lot of black, with neutrals. Everything is always changing. I love change. Creating a collection that would be an extension from the previous does not experiment through any exploration. I wanted to refine my style and craft. I hope to continue to develop as a designer and never cease to change.

Do you love everything about being a fashion designer?
I wouldn't choose to be doing anything else - this is my life now.

I see articles about you literally everywhere. Some about your clothes, some about your jewelry (above), but there is always something. I don't expect you to keep count, of course, but can you take a guess as to how many interviews you have had since your first show?  
I've done a fair amount of interviews, but not enough. There is no such thing as too much press.

This has been quite a year for you! Was it ever overwhelming?
At times, work does get overwhelming. I often forget how old I am. I always knew I had a vision to share with the world - the journey has been exciting, but never a nuisance. I hope that things remain at the same comfortable pace. There is a lot that I plan to accomplish in the next five years and slowing down won't get me anywhere.

I’m sure many designers have inspired you during this journey. Care to namedrop your faves?
In no specific order: Nicolas Ghesquiere, Mark Fast, Rick Owens, Miuccia Prada, Christopher Kane, Erdem Moralio?lu, Karl Lagerfeld, to name a few. I would love to work with Ruth Hogben and Nick Knight from SHOWstudio.

On top of that list, do you have a muse?  
Daphne Guinness.

Which stores are your designs currently available at? I read on FashionTK.com that you have garnered street cred from civilian clotheshorses in New York, Los Angeles, and of course, Toronto!
I'm holding off on placing the line into store until New York Fashion Week. My stock list at the moment includes Jacflash (Toronto), Dall Haus Co. (Burlington), and a2zane.com. On Jan. 1, I will launch my designs on www.isami.nl in the Netherlands and www.isami.eu in Europe.

What is your favourite restaurant or hang out spot in Toronto?
Foxley, The Black Hoof, and home

Do you ever miss your days as a student?
I miss the seasonal breaks of student life. I won't be taking a winter break this year.

How have your parents been responding to your new found success? Have they always been supportive of fashion design?
They have always been supportive, but have only recently understood my level of dedication.

Now that the holidays are over, your debut at New York Fashion Week in February is just around the corner. What can we expect from your Fall/Winter 2011/2012 collection!
Like every collection I produce, there will be that signature edge.

You love leather; we all know that. Any trends you hate?
Kitten heels. Please don't come back.

Jennifer Cheng
		About the author:
		Originally from Hong Kong and raised in Canada, Jennifer Cheng moved to Toronto at age six. Fueled by her passion for magazine writing, she enrolled in the Certificate in Magazine Publishing program at Ryerson University, in downtown Toronto. She later transferred to the Ryerson School of Journalism, while pursuing her Certificate in Photography Studies simultaneously. Recently, she has interviewed personalities such as Nigel Barker; Marben's former executive chef Craig Alley; up-and-coming fashion designer Lucian Matis; just to name a few. Jenn can be found writing articles at Starbucks in Indigo, or during ungodly hours in her apartment. She currently lives in Yorkville.
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