It's the end of an era for Canada's style set as Toronto Fashion Week — the country's largest bi-annual event championing homegrown designers — announces its apparent demise.
"In order to best support the needs of the fashion community here in Canada, we've made the very difficult decision to pause production of our biannual event in order to rethink the platform and focus on how best to engage the industry, support designers and resonate with consumers across the country," reads a statement from the organization.
"We remain steadfast in our resolve to continue to passionately support the Toronto community and champion the Canadian industry overall, as well as nurture the relationships we have built and maintained since the inception of Toronto Fashion Week, twenty years ago."
Thank you for all the memories (and photos) 💐 #Toronto #TFW pic.twitter.com/q0EW1NKRnG
— J₳₴Ø₦ Ⱨ₳Ɽ₲ⱤØVɆ X (@jasonhargrove) January 14, 2020
While not entirely surprising given dwindling attendance numbers, Toronto Fashion Week's production "pause" is quite sad for many in the city who've been attending TFW shows regularly for years.
The event may have gone through many names (World Mastercard Fashion Week, LG Fashion Week, L'Oréal Fashion Week) and many venues (Exhibition Place, "the tents" at David Pecault Square, Yorkville) but it has unfailingly demonstrated a commitment to supporting Canadian fashion from the get-go.
Founded in 1999 by the Fashion Design Council of Canada, Toronto Fashion Week has given a platform to many local designers who went on to achieve international recognition and success.
Canadian Designers need a solid platform to sell, truly appreciate what Sarah Power is doing with @made_inland show....Toronto Fashion Week is like 4 days of glam and then gloom....it needs restructuring badly!!!
— Anu Raina (@Anu_Raina) January 14, 2020
Famous alumni from the event's various iterations include Greta Constantine, Hillary MacMillan, Hayley Elsaesser, Lesley Hampton, Mikhael Kale, Sentaler, Mackage, Beaufille, Narces and Smythe.
Some in the industry are confident that fashion week will return to Toronto, in some form or another — and they may be right. It's happened before.
"Canadian designers showing at Toronto Fashion Week were never part of the fast fashion industry," wrote TFW regular Glen Baxter on Twitter of the news. "Quite the opposite. They deserve our support."
"Change the location. Lose the name. Change the game," he continued in response to another tweet about the production pause. "#Reinvent."
by Lauren O'Neil via blogTO
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