Originally Published in TFI News:May 2009
Supporters of Canadian fashion came together at The Carlu in Toronto on Saturday, April 25, for the 2009 Annual TFI New Labels® Competition and gala fundraiser for the Toronto Fashion Incubator, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting and nurturing young business entrepreneurs. More than 600 people attended the glamorous evening, which included a private viewing of the second annual ELLE Show, charming cocktail reception, a delicious VIP dinner, silent auction filled with fantastic prizes and, of course, the fashion show where the four finalists—Cheryl Gushue, Jody McMillan, Sonja den Elzen, and Faren Tami—showcased their fall 09 collections vying for the ELLE Canada New Labels® Fashion Award 2009.
The emcee of the evening, Anne-Marie Mediwake, co-anchor of the News Hour at 6, Global News who looked stunning in her David Dixon gown, introduced each designer on stage with a mini-interview session asking about the inspiration of their lines and who their favourite designers were—most answered Rick Owens.
After six months of judging and a quick post-show deliberation, competition judges (pictured below, left to right) Peter Papapetrou (fashion director, Lush Magazine), Nathalie Atkinson (style and culture columnist, the National Post), Rita Silvan (editor-in-chief, ELLE Canada), Teresa Isabella (design director, Bluenotes) and David Dixon (designer, David Dixon Inc.), announced Faren Tami of Faren as the recipient of the award package valued at $25,000.
Tami’s winning collection (featured below), inspired by futuristic eco-architecture, received intermittent applause during her show—a reception most often reserved for more seasoned designers, and a testament to the strong support of family and friends. She used a range of fabrics, from leather to chiffon, to create separates with dramatic silhouettes, details and draping. Each of the models were outfitted with a sharp black bobbed wigs, which fused perfectly with the edginess of her structured collection, while bright yellow tights contrasted with the blue tones seen in many of her pieces. Tami is one of the founding members of the Freedom Clothing Collective located at 939 Bloor St. W. in Toronto. For more information, visit www.freedomclothingcollective.com.
Finalist Cheryl Gushue opened her scene for her Brazilian-inspired swimwear line GushueSwim (see below) with an energetic dance performance by two carnival dancers in full regalia. Her sexy collection made us wish we were dancing on a beach in Rio ourselves. Her teal, burnt orange and black jersey pieces were accessorized with not-so-modest sheer covers and black boho headgear. For more information, visit www.gushueswim.com.
Inspired by photos she found of her grandparents from WWII, Jody McMillan’s Jody Leigh collection of ’40s chic, military-inspired separates and dresses (shown below) offered strong feminine silhouettes with high-waisted skirts, and jackets with shoulder pads. Using army green as a centre for her line, McMillan also featured items in white, black and mustard. This was the first runway show for the George Brown College fashion graduate. For more information, visit www.jodyleigh.com.
Having already established herself in the Toronto industry as an eco-designer, Sonja den Elzen of Thieves proved that being environmentally friendly with your wardrobe can be stylish. Inspired by the wilderness of the Tundra, the collection (see below) featured a soft muted palette of creams and roses with chunky knits and soft pleats. Large horned accessories by Dandi Maestre, which were recently seen on the runway of Lucian Matis’ fall ‘09 collection during LG Fashion Week, brought a welcomed rawness to her aesthetic. Thieves is available at den Elzen’s West Queen West boutique Thieves at 1156 Queen St. W. For more information, visit www.thieves.ca.
Spotted in the crowd were Toronto Mayor David Miller, City Councillors Adam Giambrone and Shelley Carroll (both TFI Board Directors), TFI Chair Ben Barry, Sara Diamond, president of the Ontario College of Art & Design, Samantha Sanella, president of the Design Exchange, ET Canada host Roz Weston, Take This Home and Sell It personality Glenn Dixon, shoe maven Ron White, actors Sarah Manninen of TMN’s The Line and Amanda Brugel from the upcoming feature film Splice. Guests took home an ELLE Canada swag bag filled with beauty products from P&G Beauty. The TFI New Label® contest has been running since 1992, launching the careers of many successful designers including David Dixon, Joeffer Caoc, NADA, and Juma. ELLE Canada, the presenting event sponsor and benefactor, donated a portion of the net gala proceeds to the TFI.
