A long time ago, like way back in 2007 before the recession ruined everything, fashion had a pretty strict system.
There were always exceptions but for the most part collections were shown on pricey runways, sold in swanky showrooms and designers were at the mercy of media and retailers when it came to whether their work was seen and sold.
But as stock markets tumbled, buyer budgets tightened and style press started pushing the notion that in these tough times, consumers crave old and established brands, that system was suddenly sabotaging new talent rather than nurturing its growth.
So young designers started doing it for themselves, staging fashion shows (or not) when and where they wanted to and opening online stores and pop up shops to sell directly to those penny pinching customers who were actually desperate for unique, authentic things.
In Toronto, a group called the Fashion Designers Guild started to form. Last June, Michelle Turpin of Karamea, Katya Revenko of Desperately Different, Carrie Hayes and Zoran Dobric started to host shopping weekends and sample sales that spotlighted local brands. Their last event in March was a Canadian designer boutique on site at fashion week. This month, they launched their first temporary contemporary store on Eglinton just west of Avenue Road.
“The neighbourhood was amazed at how quickly our store went up and how great it looks,” says Turpin who spearheaded the group’s most ambitious designer boosting project yet. “We needed to open opportunities for emerging designers. We do not need to be buying offshore brands if we have it right here in our city.”
The boutique’s label mix includes womenswear from Turpin, Revenko, Hayes, Dobric, Aime, Bathing Belle Swimwear and Montreal’s Veronique Miljkovitch. Jessica Jensen, Susana Erazo, Biko, The Barber’s Daughters and Ashley Winnigton-Ball are all selling accessories. Men’s merch is by Juma, Krane and Philip Sparks.
“It’s important to us that all the designers are out to promote other designers and not just themselves,” says Turpin. “It is more exciting to work as a group and multiply our experiences.”
There’s a sale rack in the store but, for the most part, stock is in season, which means the designers have to be sensitive to other retailers in the area that sell their stuff. Turpin says the events have actually led to labels picking up new accounts.
“Part of the reason for us doing these events is to demonstrate Canadian fashion to buyers as a viable, sellable product,” she says.
The Contemporary Pop-Up Shop is open daily until Sunday, June 20 at 382 Eglinton West.[rssbreak]
