Arthur Mendonca celebrated 10 years on the Runway with a killer Spring/Summer 2013 collection that closed Day 4 of World Master Card Fashion Week. His anniversary collection showcased his signature style, with pieces inspired by Japanese culture; silks, cotton sheens and bold colour pairings took center stage. Portuguese born and now a Toronto resident, Mendonca’s designs have been celebrated as a beacon of Canadian design ever since his first runway show in 2002.

Mendonca is a former Project Runway Canada Judge. The sold out show on Thursday night was a big confirmation of the fan love he’s accumulated over the last decade. His popularity was lead to his website crashing mere minutes after his show due to an overwhelming number of fans trying to view his collections online.

Looks coming down the runway were infused with tons of colour, and everything had a sexy, sophisticated edge to it – a trait that Mendonca is known for. A mega trend that we’ve been seeing all week is the “metallic everything” look, and Mendonca pulled it off with a subtle yin-yang feeling of masculine/feminine tailoring.

Bad-ass kimono inspired jackets and dresses sauntered down the runway in colours of “basket -weave” cobalt blue and mandarin orange, and the immaculate pleating on his cocktail dresses was a sexy homage to the craft of origami. Whether it was intentional or not, Mendonca’s anniversary collection had a vibe of “evening- wear” to it, from his crepe tuxedo pants to metallic sheaths – everything, including the separates – were distinctly luxurious. Gorgeous, sensuous and elegant, the Arthur Mendonca runway collection for Spring/Summer 2013 is ‘to die for’.

-Lauren Schel