Fashion Art Toronto’s fall event was back this season with more than 40 designers, as well as beauty boutiques, music and local artists.
The event took over a 20,000 square-foot warehouse at Black Creek Assembly in Toronto’s Junction neighbourhood from Nov. 16 to Nov. 19.
Guests were invited to walk the red carpet, enjoy the bar lounge and visit the multiple interactive areas, including art exhibitions, apparel and accessories booths, and jewellery retail pop-ups with products from local Canadian artisans.
“I literally came out of work for just an hour on Thursday to catch a couple of shows, and I was hooked,” marketing student and model Marie Angel Sheila Tshilolo said.
“This whole season I’ve seen so much creativity and new faces which is really interesting,” Tshilolo said. “Mr. Haque, I would say was one of my favourites.”
Community, creativity, inclusion, and lifestyles have been the cornerstones of Fashion Art Toronto for many years, prioritizing the inclusion of models and participants from diverse backgrounds, persons of colour, diverse body types, and the LGBTQ2+ community.
“My inspiration on this collection was the Canadian weather,” said Nisrin Adi, a Syrian-Canadian designer who presented her winter coats for the first time in the FAT Fall 2023.
It took three months for Adi to complete her Fall 2023 Kolleen boutique collection, made with cashmere, leather and fox fur materials.
“There are different types of colours and textures to showcase different cultures and different ethnicities,” she said. “That’s why we include different ages and different types of people from different backgrounds to showcase our jackets.”
A curated collection of accessories and beauty brands was presented in a Boutique Pop-Up showcasing mainly Black emerging brands.
“We give them an opportunity to showcase in Canada so we’re trying to bridge the gap between the Canadian audience and African designers because we know they have a lot to offer,” said Oge Ahanotu co-founder of the Boutique Pop-Up.
A new addition to this year’s fall event was the Club Catwalk rave on Friday night, where partygoers danced on the runway.
Fashion Art Toronto has presented more than 500 international and Canadian fashion designers and artists at its events since 2005.
Other designers and brands appearing on this year’s runway and the Fashion Playground presentation stage included Brandon Kier, Mr. Haque, House of Hendo, Fusion of Luxury and Kendrick Tran.
The 2023 event concluded with an official fashion week after-party at OBJX Studio on Symes Road.