More than 35 runway shows, dozens of the nation’s top designers and a flurry of activity converge this week in Toronto for the fashion-fest known as LG Fashion Week. A good solid buzz fills the city for Fashion Week, but even with a new venue and new theme Wear Love, curiously, most of that buzz is over whether Robin Kay can match the intensity of last season’s Valium & Absolut-enhanced speech.

LG Fashion Week Beauty by L’Oreal is the full and seriously cumbersome name of the event which kicks off today. Excitement and anticipation runs high as many designers have spent months preparing for Fashion Week. Toronto’s week of fashion takes place at a new, two-acre venue (at 1030 King St. W.) which could prove to be interesting. Hopefully, washrooms will be involved at this location.

After four seasons in the tents at Nathan Phillips Square, LG Fashion Week which kicks off tonight (to October 24) – moves to new venue on King Street West. The runway will be inside what was the body shop of a former Chrysler dealership, and is the future site of DNA Phase 3 condominiums. There’s an extended main runway and another area for by-invitation-only gatherings, such as the Hot Lights fashion photography panel discussion and book event on Wednesday afternoon.

Although the event takes place in Toronto, fashion week’s reach stretches wide, with many designers, including Calgary’s Paul Hardy, Vancouver’s Vata Brasil, Halifax-based Katrina Tuttle and Montrealers Travis Taddeo and Andy The-Ahn, hailing from near and far. Others, such as New York based designer Romona Keveza, Mumbai-based Vibygor and the Dubai-based Frame design duo, are part of an international contingent who are also strutting their stuff.

Designer menswear collections include those by Lizares and Bustle, as well as the clothes of several Canadian designers and manufacturers that will appear on the runway of local retailer Gotstyle Menswear. Retailers Joe Fresh Style, Sears Canada and Rudsak will show their spring collections. Holt Renfrew also has an invitation-only pre-Fashion Week cocktail party tonight, in the store.

For those who are interested, but unable to get tickets, there are street side windows which will allow those outside to view what’s happening. However, more seating should translate into more tickets for sale to the public. And with the official Fashion Week are throngs of unofficial parties, and we’re guessing, due to the close proximity, that Ossington will be the unofficial after-party zone.