Originally published by hannahroseprendergast.com. Reposted with permission from the author.
New York, London, Milan and Paris are all fashion capitals of the world and so lovingly touted as “The Big Four” when referring to fashion week. Toronto Fashion Week, although not part of the quartet, is the second largest fashion week in North America, behind New York. Founded in 2000 by the Fashion Design Council of Canada, Toronto Fashion Week has expanded to showcase over 60 designer runway shows. The semi-annual event takes place in March to show the Fall/Winter collections and again in October for the Spring/Summer collections. Toronto Fashion Week has since been sold to IMG World, the company responsible for fashion weeks in New York, London, Milan, Sydney and Tokyo. Suffice it to say, the brand is in very capable hands.
President of the FDCC, Robin Kay, admits that, “We are a younger country, and we have a shorter history that pertains to culture and pertains to the economy and the importance of a fashion landscape.” That being said, Canada’s comparative “greenness” to the fashion scene gives it a sort of edgy charm. Mix that with foregoing the usual fashion week tradition of attendance-by-invitation-only and you’ve got something even more innovative.
Everyone has to start somewhere and that’s why I appreciate the fact that TFW opens its doors to the public.
Mikhael Kale Fall/Winter 2015
One year you go as a fashion fan then two years later you’re sitting front row with Jeanne Becker. By providing the public with an opportunity to see what only industry people get to, you are reaching the bloggers, designers, models, photographers, etc., of tomorrow. I’m thrilled to be a part of something that makes fashion for everyone and I know my coverage will only help to further that message. Who knows, maybe not being part of The Big Four isn’t so bad after all…
(photo credit: Ali de Bold by Creative Commons)