Toronto Fashion Incubator (TFI) Introduces a New Team of TFI Consultants

Need some direction and advice to get your business moving in the right direction? TFI’s Industry experts are available to help with advice and knowledge about the industry.

Members Only
TFI Outreach Members exclusively receive 120 minutes of one-on-one scheduled consultation time with volunteer expert consultants per membership year. Whether about retail, PR, exporting or sponsorships – this is an amazing opportunity to take advantage of.

TFI members also benefit from many other resources including networking events, a resource centre and production facility, meeting space and media events. $130/year. www.fashionincubator.com

In addition to the 40+ runway shows at the upcoming L’Oreal Fashion Week, the Toronto Fashion Incubator will be presenting its annual TFI New Labels® seminar in the Fashion Environment tent at Nathan Phillips Square. Gain tips and advice on how to develop a winning TFI New Labels® collection from guest speakers David Dixon, National Post fashion writer Nathalie Atkinson and 2008 TFI New Labels® winner Eugenia Leavitt.

About the Competition
TFI’s prestigious, national fashion design competition is an annual event giving new designers a chance to win a prize package valued at $25,000 from ELLE Canada!

Friday, October 24th 2008 @ 2 p.m. Tickets for the TFI New Labels® seminar are available for $25.00+GST and can be purchased online here >>>

$150,000 Grant Fuels TFI Expansion

The Toronto Fashion Incubator (TFI) is expanding to over 8,000 square feet thanks to a $150,000 grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF). TFI will take over the entire MUSIC BUILDING at 285 Manitoba Drive, starting January 1, 2009. The grant reflects the OTF’s maximum allowance for capital improvements and will go towards housing several new designers, transforming workspaces and helping to ensure the success of Canada’s talented fashion design pool.

Membership is available at the TFI, offering fashion designers the opportunity to network, grow and learn about the industry. In its 20 years, TFI has fostered many of Canada’s most celebrated fashion designers including Brian Bailey, Joeffer Caoc, Comrags, David Dixon, Pina Ferlisi, Foxy Originals, Colette Harmon, Todd Lynn, Arthur Mendonça and Mercy.

Toronto Fashion Incubator: 285 Manitoba Drive, Exhibition Place

by Irene Stickney

Do you dream of turning your plain old tee’s into works of art? Wishing your fall wardrobe wasn’t quite so… minimalist? Take your cue from the froufrou frocks seen above on Rebecca Zimmerman and Petrina Abersek, the newest editions to the design team at Peach Berserk!

The original Peach-Dream-Team Kingi and Annalisa have recently published a ‘learn-to-silkscreen’ book/DVD called ‘Peach Berserk’s Silkscreen NOW’ ($40). It takes you step-by-step through everything you need to know to be a pro silkscreener! So, what are you waiting for???

Available at Peach Berserk, 507 Queen Street West

Want to give it a try first? Peach Berserk has been holding Sunday silkscreening workshops for as long as I can remember at its Queen West shop. Check the website for upcoming dates.

Fashion Week in Toronto is approaching (March 17-22, 2008)!

Check out this little warm-up about Canadian designers; tidbits about Robin Kay; words from Holt Renfrew Fashion Director Barb Atkin; and Paul Hardy’s start-up…

From a Business Edge article Feb.22,
Canadian designers learn to ‘sell themselves’
Making their mark in the multibillion-dollar global fashion industry

“Canadians are developing a far bigger brand and respect from other countries around the world,” says Robin Kay, president of the Fashion Design Council of Canada (FDCC). “No other country is as poised to become a success as we are right now.”

How crazy is this?

Although Nygard, a Winnipeg-based clothing manufacturer, makes about $1-billion dollars in annual sales, just opened a massive distribution centre in Toronto and outputs a staggering 60,000 pairs of polyester pants a week, it still has to close a large factory and lay off about 250 workers.

All because of an international polyester shortage. Since it’s used in everything from apparel to home textiles to car tires and credit cards, polyester (or the chemical used to make it) has been in such great demand that the world, minus China, can’t keep up.

Polyester is the most popular synthetic fiber and is used more often than any natural fiber. Although strong, durable and easy to care for, poly is made up of petroleum; acids and alcohol. It is not just a textile – It’s made from polyethylene terephthalate (PET), the same material used to make plastic drink bottles. Many drink bottles are recycled by being reheated and turned into polyester fibers. Completely chemical.

Western Glove Works‘ jeans, another Winnipeg manufacturing plant is also scheduled to close this month. These last few closings represent the loss of close to 500 jobs on top of the 3,000 the industry has lost in Manitoba since the beginning of this decade.

Do not fear though, poly is definitely here to stay: Asian countries, in an attempt to maintain their own massive supplies, have been focused on this issue for a decade and have made it a priority to increase polyester manufacturing. Nothing new – just another major noose on Canada’s fashion industry.