For those fashionistas who are disappointed that Toronto’s LG Fashion Week is over, don’t despair: the Toronto Fashion Incubator is holding the finale of its New Labels Fashion Design competition this Thursday at Design Exchange. The nationwide competition, which kicked off in the fall, features the hottest up-and-coming designers in Canada and concludes with this runway competition of the top three finalists.
Previous winners and finalists include: Adrienne Butikofer, Joeffer Caoc and David Dixon, a judge on this year’s panel. This year’s top three finalists are Caitlin Power, Golnaz Ashtiani and Nikki Wirthensohn, all of whom “have their own unique style and are all very talented,” says Susan Langdon, executive director of the Toronto Fashion Incubator. The winner of the competition wins $10,000 in cash and a chance to design an outfit for Sears women’s wear, plus other prizes.
One of the things that changed over the past 24 years since the event’s inception, says Langdon, is the lack of financial support for novice designers—a financial hardship, she believes, that won’t change anytime soon. However, the explosion of social media has helped put Montreal and Toronto on the map as fashion capitals in Canada. And though Canada isn’t quite recognized as a global leader in the industry yet, Langdon is optimistic that events like the New Labels Fashion Show will eventually change that.
TFI New Labels Fashion Show, The Design Exchange, April 14