This is an article i had found in Ryerson University’s website. It was Toronto’s first sustainability fashion show held in 2006 which was focused on being Green.

Enjoy!

Green is the new black.

That was the theme of Points of Departure: The Toronto Wildlife, Toronto’s first ever sustainability fashion show, produced by Ryerson Continuing Education student Keith Stephan-Giermek and 25 Fashion and Interior Design students.

Stephan-Giermek, chair of the Continuing Education Students’ Association of Ryerson (CESAR) Sustainability Committee, said the concept for the event came from his Design Management thesis on sustainable fashion. His goal was to encourage discussion of sustainability in the Ryerson community.

“We need to recognize the impact that we have on the environment and in the communities that we live,” said CESAR President Jeremy Salter. “An event like this is good for raising awareness, bringing people together and having a good time.”

More than 150 people attended opening night at the Student Campus Centre. Despite the trappings of a standard fashion show, the real focus was on sustainability, from environment-friendly fashion and set design to reusable “cups” made from hollowed organic vegetables.

Jennifer Fukushima, a third-year Fashion Design student and designer liaison, created Trashy, a six-piece, showgirl-inspired lingerie collection made from found objects and pop can sequins. Others, such as second-year Fashion Design student Heidi Ackerman, used natural materials such as hemp, lichen and dogwood. “There’s no way that we can sustain our way of living without changing a lot,” said Ackerman.

In addition, six Interior Design students collaborated with Stephan-Giermek to create the set using waste materials found on campus. The end result included burlap, cardboard and an impressive chandelier made from clear plastic water bottles.

“It’s definitely been a very good educational experience,” said second-year Interior Design student Enoch Wong. “I think we did a great job in applying what we learned from the Interior Design program.”

The 40-minute show was preceded by a panel discussion featuring Robin Kay, president of the Fashion Design Council of Canada, Preloved founder Julia Grieve and Kier Brownstone, general manager of Green$aver.

“Keith did a tremendous job,” said Kay. “It’s very important that we keep at it so that sustainability and the environment are not just a trend.”

“The support from Ryerson was overwhelming,” said Stephan-Giermek, who received funding from CESAR, the Ryerson Students’ Union, the President’s Office, the G. Raymond Chang School of Continuing Education, the School of Fashion and the School of Interior Design. “People seemed to step up and go a little further based on the idea.”

Already, change is being made. Proceeds from the event will be used to plant trees and shrubs throughout the campus. There is also talk of bringing the Toronto Wildlife to other venues.

“I’m hoping there’ll be all kinds of positive spin-offs,” said Stephan-Giermek, who plans to establish Points of Departure as an annual Ryerson event. “I’d like to see sustainability become a facet of fashion so that it doesn’t need to be promoted anymore.”

“It’s a very strong beginning,” said Réjean Beaudin, executive producer of Fashion File, who met Stephan-Giermek during Toronto Fashion Week. “If anyone is going to change this planet, we have to look to people like this – the students.”

http://www.ryerson.ca/news/news/General_Public/2006Archive/20060505_tw.html

Having a Fashion Design council is a good way of promoting the canadian fashion design talent. Below is more information on the FDCC:

• The FDCC is a national Canadian organization dedicated to branding fashion in Canada. Through realizing that mission, the FDCC—> Promotes the diverse fabric of Canadian fashion design talent.> Links buyers with designers, media with buzz, and business executives with product.

  > And produces an event in the elite category of Fashion Week that includes fashion aficionados from around the world.

  Since 1999, this non-profit organization has focused its energy on high-quality events, publicity and membership. Outside of L’Oréal Fashion Week, it takes part in global events to enhance the knowledge and awareness of the Canadian fashion design industry. The FDCC contains a Board of Directors which seats successful and nationally recognized Canadian fashion and business executives.

http://www.lorealfashionweek.ca/fdcc/fdcc.html

Canada’s Premier Consumer Fashion & Beauty Event is taking place this year on April 24-27 2008.

ELLE Canada brings the most exciting fashion and beauty event of the year to the Direct Energy Centre, Exhibition Place, in Toronto. If you can’t get to Rodeo Drive, Fifth Avenue, Via della Spiga or Oxford Street, then the place to be this spring is the ELLE Show for your fashion, beauty and shopping inspirations.

For three fashionable days, you can join in the fun: attend fashion shows and meet the designers, test the latest beauty products, attend seminars and demonstrations — and shop! It’s never been so easy to get the look you want.

http://elleshow.ca/about_the_show.shtml

SHOW DATES AND TIMES

Thursday, April 24 Gala Fundraiser — Toronto Fashion Incubator

The fashion industry is one of the Toronto’s largest industrial employers and the cluster is booming. Toronto is decidedly in fashion, and showing with the best in the world.

Following are Toronto’s Fashion Industry Facts:

• Toronto is home to more than 550 apparel manufacturers with wholesale shipments totaling nearly $1.4 billion annually or 16% of the $9 billion Canadian market.
• Canadian trade legislation now permits duty- and tariff-free apparel imports from 48 of the world’s least developed countries.
• More than 4,600 Toronto fashion retail stores generate annual sales of $2.6 billion.
• A cluster study by ICF Consulting concluded that Canadian apparel makers are superior to their U.S. counterparts in responsiveness and small-batch production.
• Designer lines including Lida Baday, Brian Bailey, Joeffer Caoc, David Dixon, Arthur Mendonça, Franco Mirabelli, Pink Tartan, and Sunny Choi got their start in Toronto.

http://www.toronto.ca/invest-in-toronto/fashion.htm

Welcome to my Blog. I will be focusing on the GTA’s Fashion Cluster. Hope you enjoy reading my posts and make sure you comment on the ones that interest you.