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WMCFW Day 1: Developing New Canadian Talent

theblondchampagne
Oct 19, 2014
2 min read

The fashion industry is a difficult industry to crack. It takes a lot of drive, detrmination and a bit of blind faith in oneself. The Canadian fashion industry has talent for days but in a highly competitive industry that is fighting to be noticed it can be daunting, even discouraging for new designers to enter.

With the already scheduled Mercedes Benz Start Up and the last minute change of the Joe Fresh Show from a runway presentation to a party "recognizing the achievements of the Canadian Fashion Industy," co-hosted with IMG, the opening day of WMCFW seems to have a theme.

Ask many Canadians to name a Canadian fashion brand and until recently you may have only heard "Roots". Joe Mimran has been a titan of the Canadian fashion industry from founding Club Monaco to his current Joe Fresh with Loblaws he is really bringing Canadian fashion to the mainstream. And as the saying goes, behind every great man is an even greater woman-we have Pink Tartan's Kimberly Newport-Mimran.

As of late many designers have come forward expressing their feeelings of lack of support in the Canadina Fashion Industry. Lack of support from the government, from stores that carry their line and from the Canadian consumer. I have always found it odd that with the popularity of eating local and shopping local, buying clothing seems to have gone the opposite direction with the rise of fast fashion. Sure buying clothing made in Canada does cost more but I can assure you that the quality will far surpass that of your $5.00 top. It seems that as a society we are beginning to devalue clothing and fashion. Sure the retailers drove down the quality of the clothing but we drove down the prices and the quality had to go with it.

As a proud Canadian I look forward to the time that our designers can thrive in their home country and do not have to leave to be supported and earn the respect they deserve.

The Mercedes Benz Start Up was an exciting taste of what is to come in Canadian. The winning designer Sid Neigum is emerging as a true leader for the younger generation. His intellectual designs are thought provoking and reflective. They touch on subjects beyond the stitching and the cloth.

I am eager to see where the Canadian fashion industry goes in the years to come and hope to see it recognised on the world stage as more than a humble player. Much will need to change but I believe we are moving in the right direction.

Here are some of my favourite designs from Sid Neigum's winning collection: