Toronto is one of North America's best cities for fashion design.
Young Designers Keep Toronto a Fashion-Forward Locale
by Joe Cooper
From fashion design schools to affordable real estate for a first boutique shop, Toronto represents a place of growing opportunity for young fashion designers. Supportive fashion organizations and a booming real estate market help keep the entire city fashion-conscious.
Events and Awareness for Emerging Fashion
One of Toronto's most notable and active groups to encourage young designers is the Toronto Fashion Incubator. Dedicated to launching the careers of emerging designers, the group hosts fashion events throughout the city, like the Ultimate Fashion Platinum fundraiser in April. The Incubator is famous for funding student and young designer fashion shows in and around Toronto.
Toronto is also home to several major fashion events, including Toronto Fashion Week, and the Festival of Architecture and Design. The Festival features a series of exhibitions, films, lectures, workshops, and more, all of which focus on design.
Students' Designs on Display
Student fashion shows are quite common in Toronto. In April 2007, more than 200 garments from Toronto fashion design school students were on display in a show commemorating the end of their program. In a unique twist, the students' designs weren't shown on runways. Instead, models wore the designs in a "freer flowing format," reports the Canadian publication CNW Telbec.
Toronto Garment District is Hot Property
Toronto's growing fashion district is home not only to scores of garment stores and retail boutiques, but also to a hungry real estate market.
The architecture and development group Intracorp Projects Ltd. earned the Greater Toronto Home Builders' Association prestigious Project of the Year award for high-rises with its 550 Wellington Project, which makes Toronto's fashion district its home.
The fashion district in Toronto, also called the Wingold district, has become known for its rich and eclectic fashion offerings. Some designers no longer go to Toronto's bustling downtown centers for their shopping and garment shopping, and many fashion merchandisers seek out the Wingold district for its unique retail opportunities. With real estate at $12-$14 per square foot, the area represents a good alternative for new stores because it's much more affordable than cities like Chicago or New York. With such a strong business environment, there are many exciting career opportunities available to new designers in Toronto.
Sources
Now Toronto
CNW Telbec
CNW Telbec
The Star
About the Author
Joe Cooper writes fashion and design articles and edits medical literature. He holds a bachelor's in American Literature from UCLA.