Boston Fashion Week has come to a close this past weekend and a bevy of talented designers have been showcasing their work around the city.

The Emerging Trends show that took place on September 25th was a solid showcase for up-and-coming designers, such as Rachel Sin from Ottawa, Canada.

Born in Hawaii and raised in Toronto, Sin has no formal fashion training, however, her passion for design came quite naturally having trained and worked as an architect. The transition to fashion designer was seamless for Sin, as both professions require her “to be meticulous and demand quality.”  Fashion design for her, “is another channel for creative release,” she says. 

Her sculptural and streamline designs are an extension of her experience as an architect. An attention to “unexpected details,” like a cutout back in what appears to be a classic black dress or ruching at the sides of a jersey top, is what makes her collection unique.

Sin describes her designs as, “refined and sculpted to the form of the female body, with architectural lines that are strong, yet feminine and always at ease with effortless function.”  Sin believes that a woman “should never look overdone, and that understated style is looking polished in a form fitting dress that combines precision in cut and demure sensuality”, which is exactly what her designs do. 

Sin is inspired by “art, architecture and the everyday.” When brainstorming new dress ideas, “I think of a woman attending an event in a modern space, and what she would wear that would complement modernist design and become as timeless as the building itself.” She also seeks to provide women with “that must-have item in their closet," she expresses. "If architecture must always be functional, then fashion should always be wearable.”

Sin presented eight looks at The Emerging Trends show, all of which demonstrated her commitment to simple, clean lines. Neutral hues of gray, black and cream were accented with rich purples, deep blues and pops of pink. All of her designs can easily transition from day to evening with the quick switch of a shoe or handbag. The daring pieces can be made more conservative with the simple addition of a cardigan.

Drawing inspiration from shops such as Mango and Zara, both of which hail from Barcelona, Sin aspires to make clothes that are “fashionable and affordable.”  With an average price point of $250 per dress, her designs offer women an opportunity to affordably invest in timeless, clean looks that will last beyond this season’s trend. 

This was Sin’s first US show. She had bites from a few buyers and is hoping to be back in Boston soon to follow up with shops on Newbury Street.  Her designs are currently carried at boutiques in Ottawa and Toronto, or can be ordered via her online boutique at www.rachelsin.com.