The Canadian School: 2009

Thursday, December 17, 2009

The godfathers of Canadian fashion

Dean and Dan Caten with my friend Olympia Berman at one of Holt Renfrew's Film Festival parties. I remember she was their muse that night.

Veteran designer Dean and Dan Caten of DSqured2 are in the limelight for the launch of their new American show "Launch my line". Next year = Lots of Canada on the fashion map.

Dsquared2's Caten twins launching into limelight AP

via Glamour and Glitter

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Aurel Schmidt - Canadian Traveller

I was amused when watching a The Moment video in which you can see Aurel Schmidt's luggage displaying the Canadian Flag. She is from Vancouver but did you know many Americans use Canadian luggage tags as people are usually nicer to them?

Art Basel Miami 2009 Aurel Schmidt video The Moment Blog

Monday, December 7, 2009

Rad Hourani FW 09 as seen in V MAN 16

This is Rad Hourani 's FW 09 campaign image as seen in V MAN.

Via The Imagist

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Canadian School of Fashion Chart

Click Image to enlarge

Monday, November 23, 2009

The Canadians in Fashion Now

New York

Jeremy Laing

Rad Hourani

London

Erdem

Mark Fast

Todd Lynn

Paris

Calla Haynes

Nicolas Andreas Taralis

Here are the young designers of Canadian origin that are in the world of fashion. They do not belong to a school of design but are certainly building their brands internationally around the same time (excluding Lynn and Taralis whom have been around for a while). I would like to know if I am wrong -do not know a lot about Canadian fashion design in the 60s or 70s- but I think this is the first time designers from this country are having a moment in fashion internationally in such large numbers. Canada constantly has a moment with models, but with designers this would be it.

Fashion Television from Canada

This documentation would not be complete if I did not mention Fashion Television and Fashion File. Most people do not know that it was a Canadian network (CityTV) that pioneered the idea of producing a special interest show focused on fashion. Long before Next Top Model and Project Runway , there was Jeanne Beker's Fashion Television.

Younger generation might also not know that style.com's Tim Blanks was the hots of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's Fashion File. A show that was internationally syndicated and was well respected until Mr Blank's departure. Once his replacement came via a reality television competition the show lacked its air of sophistication and insight; needless to say it came to an end.

Friday, November 20, 2009

Canadian fashion editors (outside of Canada)

Joe Zee, Creative Director of American Elle

Leith Clark Editor-in-chief of of Lula Magazine in London

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

The Canadian Models Now

Daria Werbowy

Jessica Stam

Coco Rocha

Irina Lazareanu

Heather Marks

Famous Canadian models from the late 90s

Tasha Tilberg

Yasmin Warsame

Kirsten Owen

Estelle Warren

The Canadian from the Super Models days

Linda Evangelista coined the infamous supermodel phrase "I don't get out of bed for less than $10000 a day". She and models Naomi Campbell and Christy Turlington were dubbed the "trinity" and are commonly credited as the ones responsible for sparking supermodel mania.

Shalom Harlow

Sunday, November 8, 2009

Now the Fashion...

Here some Canadian fashion designers who have made a mark in the international fashion scene over the last decade.

Twins Dean and Dan Caten of Dsquared2

Shoe and accessory designer Patrick Cox

Alfred Sung and Joe Mimram of Club Monaco

Alfred Sung along with Joe Mimram founded in the early 80s Club Monaco which became one of Canada's most successful international brands; it was bought by Polo Ralph Lauren in 1999.

There are Club Monaco locations in Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, South Korea, China, the United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, and the United States.

Joe Mimram's most recent project in Canada Joe, a high concept/low cost line is done in collaboration within the Loblaws supermarket stores owned by the Weston family whom also own luxury department stores Holt Renfrew in Canada and Selfridges in London.