FashionTalks: Recent Episodes
FashionTalks
In this episode, Donna sits down with makeup artist and drag visionary Viktor Peters (a.k.a. Verushka) to explore the transformative power of beauty, fashion, and self-expression. From growing up in a modern Mennonite community in Chihuahua, Mexico to studying music at Canadian Mennonite University and finding his voice in Winnipeg and Toronto, Viktor traces his path through MAC Cosmetics, the discipline of skin tone and texture mastery, and the confidence that makeup can unlock, reframing beauty as artistry, adornment, and identity.
Viktor opens up about building Verushka—the “look queen” persona known for fully realized head-to-toe storytelling—and the life-changing night Madonna invited him on stage during “Vogue.” If you’re passionate about beauty culture, drag, Toronto’s scene, MAC legacy campaigns, and the courage it takes to be seen, this conversation delivers inspiration, craft insights, and a powerful testament to the confidence that style can spark.
Links in this episode:
- Viktor Peters: @viktorpeters | Viktor Peters/Veruschka
- Donna Bishop: @thisisdonnab
- CAFA: @cafawards | cafawards.ca
Beauty isn’t vanity—it’s self-respect. In this episode, Donna sits down with Brittany Gray, makeup artist and founder of Fancy Face; a beauty service and retail boutique and product line, to explore the transformative power of makeup and the business behind a leading Canadian beauty brand. Brittany shares how performing in Chicago at age 15 and watching Catherine Zeta-Jones on set sparked her vision to bring celebrity-level artistry to everyday women. She traces Fancy Face’s growth from apartment studio to flagship stores (including their PATH Toronto location), and explains why services now span bridal makeup, special events, makeup lessons and virtual consultations across North America.
You’ll get quick makeup tips for women 35+-plus Brittany’s “outside-in” philosophy for rebuilding confidence after life’s hard seasons. We also get candid on entrepreneurship: patience, resilience, and building a legacy brand without outside funding. If you’re curious about makeup lessons, bridal beauty, or how to scale a purpose-driven company, this conversation delivers inspiration and practical takeaways in equal measure.
Some key points from the episode
- How working with Catherine Zeta Jones impacted her career
- The power of makeup and what she sees when people come into Fancy Face
- A crossroads that changed the course of her career
- Her unique vision for the future of her business
- Makeup tips
Check out links from the episode:
- Brittany Gray: Fancy Face | @brittanygrayliving | @fancyfanceinc
- Donna Bishop: @thisisdonnab
- FashionTalks: @fashiontalkspod
- CAFA: cafawards.ca | @cafawards
Welcome to the latest episode of FashionTalks! In this episode host Donna Bishop speaks with designer and founder of Mayana, Nadine Woods. Nadine shares many personal details about her unconventional fashion journey.
- How the birth of her child influenced her business
- The surprising power of lingerie
- How she launched her brand with no formal design education
- The importance of her Caribbean heritage
- How she eschews traditional business practices and business paradigm she is developing and values
Donna Bishop @thisisdonnab
FashionTalks @fashiontalkspod
Mayana @wearmayana
mayanageneviere.com
CAFA @cafawards
cafawards.ca
TRANSCRIPT:
00:01.14
Donna Bishop
Hello, Nadine. It is so wonderful to have you here on Fashion Talks.
00:04.49
Nadine
Hi, thank you so much for having me, Donna. I'm really looking forward to our conversation today.
00:08.69
Donna Bishop
ah Oh my goodness, it's going to be so juicy because you have such, not just an amazing business, but your purposefulness of the business is so important and interesting, and we're going to get to it.
00:20.37
Donna Bishop
But first I want to start off, I love starting with this question with everyone. Everyone, I believe, who works in fashion, who loves fashion, has that moment where they realize, wow, this thing, clothing, this thing, fashion, it carries more power than just making sure I don't get a sunburn, making sure I don't get wet when it rains.
00:40.01
Donna Bishop
Do you have a moment where you became aware of the power of fashion?
00:44.72
Nadine
Yeah, definitely. i think it's definitely when I started my business, I had a baby and I really was not prepared for my recovery process because they scare us to death into the birth and delivery ah really. And truly, they just make it very fear-based in the West.
01:04.50
Nadine
Um, And we're not really prepared for the recovery process. Like we have no idea what's going to happen. And to be fair, so many things could happen.
01:16.38
Nadine
But in general, i wasn't prepared for the fact that I wouldn't be able to wear my pre-existing undergarments, like my underwear. And I was used to wearing a certain type of thing, like at that time, like something a little bit, like I would wear thongs. I would wear like all these other things that just,
01:35.15
Nadine
you know, wire bras as as we all do.
01:36.94
Donna Bishop
As we do. so
01:39.86
Nadine
um And i mean, pre COVID, I would say definitely. And I was really used to things that were really pretty underneath. And then when I had my baby, I couldn't fit into anything, but nevermind, I couldn't fit into anything.
01:55.58
Nadine
It didn't work for what I needed because when you have a baby, you bleed for six weeks straight and i think a lot of people don't realize that um and there's a lot of things happening if you decide to breastfeed now your breasts are working and so they require space and room and they're uncomfortable because you're getting adjusted to this new body that you're in um as your body transitions into another phase which is still within the framework of ah pregnancy, right? Because when we have children, a lot of times what happens is we have this bounce back culture where where we want to fit back into the things that we own previously. And that was one of the things that was for me. So a huge identity shift happens there. And fashion is a huge component of that.
02:42.14
Nadine
And when you're not used to returning to what you're normally wearing and you're forced to wear whatever's given to you for that time, it really does an effect on your body image.
02:54.09
Nadine
And so for me, that's how I really start to realize, wow, there is almost an instant pick-me-up when we change our clothes into something that makes us feel better. And undergarments have this really powerful way of setting the foundation for how you're going to feel during the day.
03:11.36
Nadine
You could wear a big sweatsuit, but if you have something really pretty underneath, it's like your own superpower, right? Right. you feel good, you carry yourself differently. But if you have some like frumpy underwear, that's like bunchy and gaping, and your bra is just loose, you don't feel great about yourself.
03:32.10
Nadine
um So that's when I realized, oh, this is a super powerful way or tool for an immediate pick me up in addition to all the other things you need to do for healing.
03:43.30
Donna Bishop
It's such an interesting point because I think undergarments get such a, they're kind of polarized, right? They're either utilitarian and we shouldn't think about them or they're like, I'm going to get something tonight, like super sexy, not something you would wear day to day.
03:59.85
Donna Bishop
Like that's kind of the two pins of it, right?
04:01.82
Nadine
Yes. Yes, for sure. And i wanted to combine the two because we, I was at a stage in my life where I needed something that was going to support things that I learned about only after I had my daughter. So my pelvic floor, diastasis recti, for those who don't know, that's the separation of your abdominal muscles.
04:22.93
Nadine
Um, things like that, that I didn't even know existed before I had my daughter. And now I need to wear pieces
04:29.72
Donna Bishop
and be
04:31.68
Nadine
Sorry, go ahead.
04:32.58
Donna Bishop
No, no, no. I was just going to say, you know, the your entrepreneurial journey is so rich in education. But before we get too much into that, like, can tell us a little bit about you. You know, where are you from?
04:47.20
Donna Bishop
where were you born? What kind of kid were you? Tell us a little bit about Nadine before we get into Mayana.
04:53.61
Nadine
Yeah, so I was born in Toronto. I do not have a background in fashion at all. I didn't study fashion. i was not I was interested in fashion, but I wasn't interested in the sense that um I would idolize like large designers or you know big fashion houses. like it was not...
05:13.42
Nadine
For me, I used fashion as a way to express myself in my culture. So I'm from the Caribbean. And for us, we are used to wearing beautiful, colorful, powerful prints, natural fibers, very flowy, beautiful things, which now has become popularized as resort wear.
05:36.31
Nadine
um But that literally is how we live. And
05:41.89
Nadine
That is a big part of how I view fashion. Another part of my upbringing too was I'm very entrenched in my culture. My family's from Trinidad and I was raised as a Trinidadian girl.
05:54.94
Nadine
I was not, you know, it to my culture. Like, yes, I'm born in Canada, but my culture is Caribbean. And part of my culture is carnival and carnival is a huge expression of self. It is emancipation from enslavement is its resistance. It is rebellion.
06:14.92
Nadine
And it's not just people jumping up and dancing in the street. There's a reason why we do it. It is a release it is of trauma. It is healing. And a lot of people don't understand meaning of Carnival, but that also informed how I design my pieces today because we are used to all bodies on the road. That is not new for us.
06:38.12
Nadine
In our culture, it's important to celebrate all different types of bodies and sizes. So I come from a background where we really appreciate people and who they are and not just their bodies, I would say.
06:57.44
Donna Bishop
It sounds like you grew up with a real comfort and love for all bodies. And we know we live in a culture that that is not always the case.
07:11.51
Donna Bishop
When did you become aware that there was a like that people felt differently, that there was a a philosophy of, you know, love your body only if your body looks a certain way?
07:26.90
Nadine
I definitely would say i was ignorant to it in my teens. So I just, you know, you know, your teens, I have a teen right now and the goal right now is just to fit in, not to stand out. Right. That's the teenage goal.
07:40.10
Nadine
And then as you get older, you start to form your own identity and also life circumstances, right? Like right now I'm in the perimenopause phase and I'm which starts at 35, everyone. I mean, like people don't realize it's just right.
07:56.93
Donna Bishop
Yeah.
07:57.13
Nadine
um And there's just things you're just not willing to do to yourself anymore ah out of comfort, right? Or discomfort, I would say. i think a lot of us felt that unanimously during COVID people just stopped wearing bras.
08:09.39
Donna Bishop
yeah
08:09.99
Nadine
Right? So I think these are the pieces that I was like, okay, there is a huge problem, but it really hit me after I had my daughter because I no longer fit into the beauty standard. My body was a different shape. I had stretch marks, stretchy skin, um all these things that, you know, we're told are not perfection based on what we see subliminally in movies, magazines, TV, runways.
08:30.96
Nadine
We're not seeing these types of bodies anywhere. And so we're receiving that kind of message in the West. But then when you go to other cultures, it's like a non-conversation. I would say. Right. So that's when I started to realize, oh, it was a really hard time adjustment for me.
08:46.88
Nadine
And then when I rejected all these narratives that I didn't realize I was actually living by, it was another level of freedom that was really unlocked for me. And I didn't have to continue in this cycle of overconsumption just to keep up the standard.
09:03.64
Donna Bishop
I want to ask about the conversations you've been having with your with your clients and customers, because I know they're, you know, we've talked before about what a big part they are in terms of, you know, your business.
09:17.66
Donna Bishop
But before we get to that, when did you know that, what was the moment where you knew you wanted to start your brand? When was the moment when Mayana was conceived?
09:27.16
Nadine
Yeah. So once I went through that life-changing experience, I felt like, let me, am I alone in this? And I sent out a survey and
09:35.85
Donna Bishop
Were you working in fashion before?
09:40.83
Nadine
I was not, I had no fashion background, nothing.
And I was just mortified.
09:42.18
Donna Bishop
Be inspired, people. Anyone?
We can all pivot.
09:44.05
Nadine
but
09:46.26
Nadine
Yeah, yeah, totally. um I was mortified because I came home and I had to wear my mom's underwear and I had to wear these big, disgusting nursing bras and I was like, there's got to be more to life than this for people who are struggling in motherhood and all of a sudden become invisible.
10:02.11
Nadine
And so I sent out this survey at the time, Survey Monkey, right? It was like the only thing. And I had sent that out and I got over 200 responses. And the survey was 15 minutes long. And I wasn't offering it.
10:12.49
Donna Bishop
Where did you send it? Like just to your network or-
10:14.52
Nadine
I just sent it to friends and family and I was like Keith who sent like, can you ask people what they think? um And it's so interesting because I didn't incentivize anybody and I got these very heart wrenching responses.
10:28.75
Nadine
And I realized there's a need for this, right? Like this was without, you know, normally when you start a business, like in business school, they tell you, okay, what's the market gap? Like how much can you, I didn't, that is not what drove me. I just was like, okay, let me take a look. And then I went to New York to the largest lingerie trade show.
10:46.49
Donna Bishop
so So your survey, I just want to like hone in on this for a minute. Was it basically like, do you like the underwear you're wearing?
10:49.38
Nadine
Yeah.
10:51.73
Donna Bishop
How do you feel about your body? Like what kind of questions were you asking?
10:56.47
Nadine
I was asking them if they understood what their pelvic floor was, if they had any leakage after they had children and did they find that their underwear was helpful? How were they, what were they using to support themselves in this time? Like very invasive and personal questions.
11:13.68
Nadine
Right? Like, not just like, do you like your underwear? Do you like, ah you know, not not just that.
11:16.25
Donna Bishop
that
11:17.66
Nadine
Like, do you feel like your underwear is serving you in this time? Like, questions like that, right? Because, yeah, you could find underwear everywhere, right?
11:23.36
Donna Bishop
Yeah.
11:26.55
Nadine
But is is it working for you? Or are you just dealing with what's available?
11:33.49
Nadine
Um, yeah. And then the other pieces I went to New York and I saw that the lingerie industry is 95% male owned operated run.
11:45.04
Nadine
Okay. Makes a lot of sense as to why women don't feel great about themselves or why women feel as though they need to look a certain way in undergarments as opposed to it actually functioning. And I didn't see any undergarments that actually combined function with style.
12:02.84
Donna Bishop
Right.
12:03.42
Nadine
It was one or the other.
12:03.71
Donna Bishop
And what year was this, Nadine? How long ago was this?
12:06.97
Nadine
This was in 2010. 15 years ago.
12:09.75
Donna Bishop
Okay.
12:10.77
Nadine
yeah fifteen years ago
12:14.30
Donna Bishop
So you're in New York, you're like, I can like, as they say, you know, you you're like, I can build a better mouse trap. Like there are like the lingerie industry is massive, but you're not seeing what you and evidently, you know, quote you know, backed up by your survey, hundreds of other women are not being serviced.
12:36.09
Donna Bishop
So then what did you do?
12:36.33
Nadine
Yeah.
12:38.70
Nadine
Well, I started analyzing things critically. I was like, okay, this makes a lot of sense as to why women's actual needs are not being served because who is the one producing for them and who's the one designing for them and who's the one coming up with how they should look.
12:51.41
Nadine
And that feeds into their need to feel, or that feeds into their not feeling good enough. And then that leads into other aspects of consumption.
12:58.26
Donna Bishop
yeah
13:00.34
Nadine
Right. And so for me, i was like, okay, there's definitely a need here. Let's see what we can do to make something that creates space for people that are not seen even in the maternity space.
13:13.05
Nadine
Right. You're just seeing pregnant women wearing nursing bras. You're never seeing a postpartum body at that time.
13:20.05
Donna Bishop
Yeah.
13:20.83
Nadine
You were not seeing a postpartum body anywhere.
13:23.99
Donna Bishop
Yeah.
13:24.15
Nadine
Um,
13:24.19
Donna Bishop
I mean, I think it's important to, you know, put the timestamp on it because it has become a little more open and inclusive and we see, you know, images in your, your,
13:36.28
Donna Bishop
you know, imagery and whatnot of people nursing. But, and that is certainly, happened in some other brands, but back in like 2015, 2010, before, like nada, like nothing.
13:46.48
Nadine
No.
13:47.41
Donna Bishop
And when you went to shop for it, it was limited and grim.
13:51.62
Nadine
Yes, exactly.
13:55.17
Donna Bishop
And so when you started your brand, tell me about like the early days of Mayana. Were you still talking to customers? Did you start to one design? Like, just give us a bit of context for like the early days as it's growing to the to the robust company that it is now.
14:13.02
Nadine
Yeah. So in the early days, I was just really focused on, okay, what pieces can I create to satisfy certain parts of healing? um How can I create pieces that are going to be versatile so that you don't feel like you have to compromise your wardrobe in order for you to get the support that you need at this time of your life?
14:30.48
Nadine
And I just based it off of my own personal experience because I was literally Frankensteining a lot of my pre-existing pieces and I actually had boobs for the first time. so I really went out and I was like, oh I'm going to buy this bra. And it was, you know, and I would just kind of rework that bra to work in a way that works for nursing. Cause I nursed my daughter exclusively, which is a whole other journey.
14:53.74
Nadine
Um, but for almost two years. And so for me, I really wanted to get back into my pre-pregnancy clothes. And when I say that maybe not so much the size, but like the option to have the same styles, right?
15:09.49
Donna Bishop
Yeah.
15:09.60
Nadine
So ah traditionally nursing stuff is high, big cups like high. And so you're very limited in how you dress and what you wear. um and then there's other pieces. So for me, I think that's how I started. And then I started...
In the latest episode of FashionTalks host Donna Bishop speaks with award winning fashion designer Christopher Bates. Donna and Christopher chat about:
- Christopher's foray into fashion (his second career)
- The small moments of inspiration and big swings that built his brand
- How an iconic design element brought people together for life
- The balancing act of being an entrepreneur and a designer
Donna Bishop @thisisdonnab
FashionTalks @fashiontalkspod
Christopher Bates @chistopher.bates.official
ChristopherBates.com
CAFA @cafawards
cafawards.ca
TRANSCRIPT:
Donna Bishop: [00:00:00] Christopher Bates, it is so wonderful to have you here on Fashion Talks. Thanks so much for joining me.
Christopher Bates: Thank you for having me.
Donna Bishop: Oh my gosh, it's such a pleasure. And I know we'll get into, because you're coming to us from Milan, Milano. So I love the internationalness of our conversation. Thanks for dealing with the time zones.
Christopher Bates: No problemo.
Donna Bishop: I love to start off with the same question, which I'm very excited for you to answer, is I believe that all of us who have a love of fashion, who work in fashion, there is a moment, often when we're very young, when we understand that clothing, that fashion has a power beyond just protecting our our bodies from the elements.
And I'm wondering if there's one that stands out for you.
Christopher Bates: Yeah, I'm glad you asked because I certainly had that moment. And for me, it was when I was young. um i grew up in Vancouver and this would be during the s.
I was really into skateboarding and my mom bought my brothers and I [00:01:00] really cool clothes, and Chip and Pepper, TNC surf, lots of neon.
And I just loved it. and i was an energetic kid. I remember I never liked wearing pants. I would always wear shorts, even if it was winter in Vancouver, it gets pretty cold.
But I'd put on my favorite shorts. I'd run to school every day. And I just felt like, okay, I was in a good mood. Putting on an outfit that I liked made me in a better mood.
It enhanced my mood. And I was aware of that even as a kid. I wanted to wear my favorite outfits all the time. So yeah, I loved, loved clothes and I was creative. So I started sketching even back then when I was a kid, just ideas for logos and different pieces.
Donna Bishop: And it sounds like you had parents that didn't fight you if you wanted to wear something that made you feel good. Because I'm just thinking about, you know, skateboarding was probably one of the things where I became aware of, you know, street wear and something that was very different from my small town, [00:02:00] Ontario, growing up environment. And it was such a revelation in how different it was.
Christopher Bates: Yeah. And I would literally seek that out. Like even from a young age, like if everybody was wearing like blue jeans, I wouldn't want to, I always wanted to be an individual. So I would look for, you know, what's new and yeah. And my mom definitely supported that. Like,
We'd go down to the States to go shopping because they had things we couldn't get here in Canada. And then, you know, we'd find like Stoozie. Like I remember when that brand started and they had all this crazy stuff. That was like one of the first streetwear brands.
And it was good for a skater as well. So yeah, yeah that was how, that's how I grew up.
Donna Bishop: What kind of teenager were you as you were, e you know, because what I'm finding so fascinating as you're saying this is I hear you talking about Stussy and Streetwear, which is so not the brand that you end up designing. So I'm curious about how that evolution happened.
Christopher Bates: That's, yeah, as a teenager, I was fairly [00:03:00] rambunctious and rebellious; but, you know, I sort of transitioned. I would say once I turned to I started to get a little bit more serious and I was more interested in business, ah for example. So, um yeah, I kind of, I grew up and I matured starting around
Donna Bishop: And when you say that, do you mean you started to look at creative things more seriously? Or like, what do you like? What was going on in your head when you say you were maturing, but still had this like understanding of the power of expression bubbling within you too?
Christopher Bates: Yeah, I guess that's when I was taking my career seriously. Like I was like thinking, okay, what university are you going to go to? What are you going to study in university? Like, what do you want to do as a career?
And this whole time, like I knew I wanted to do something creative. um But I wasn't really into like fine arts. And, you know, growing up in Vancouver and in [00:04:00] Canada in this period in the s, fashion was nowhere on the radar.
and I had no idea, um you know, about that industry. And that was a career I was thinking, okay, marketing was interesting to me because, you know, you had advertising, graphic design; that appealed to me.
Architecture appealed to me a lot. So those were sort of, you know, realistic career choices at the time that I was considering. and it wasn't until I graduated from high school, I did my first trip to Europe.
And that was a game changer. That's when, ah you know, it really opened my eyes and my imagination. I became really inspired, um you know, by Europe and fashion and just everything about that new world for me.
Donna Bishop: What was it about Europe that appealed to you so much? Like, do you remember a scene or, you know, something that just really sort of was that bolt [00:05:00] of inspiration?
Christopher Bates: Yeah, it was, it wasn't just one thing per se, but I remember being in Rome, you know, on that first trip and, and I was just taking pictures of everything because literally like the lamppost, you know, would have design elements. It would have like a little, you know, gargoyle head on the side and it was so different from the architecture in North America, which is very sort of straightforward and functional.
um In Rome, everywhere I looked, there'd be like ruins and even that was, you know, beautiful and stimulating. So, you know, that was one part of it. I would say the architecture and the art, the history was really stimulating.
But then, yeah, the people's individual style as well. And that's something that, ah you know, really registered with me on future trips that I did still, you know, in my early twenties, um, I remember being in Stockholm and I would
say that's where I had, you know, my Eureka moment, um, because the people there were [00:06:00] just so stylish and they had so many creative things going on with their outfit and their look.
I felt like they were light years ahead of, you know, Canada and, during this whole period, I had been keeping a sketchbook with ideas for designs and logos and things. And it was that moment, it was the summer of when I was in Stockholm, and I said, these people would like my ideas.
That's when I knew there was like a market out there for the concepts that I had. So that's actually the moment when I decided to become a designer.
Donna Bishop: What was it about Stockholm that was so inspiring? Like when you say these people or, you know, this city you think would like your ideas, what was the synergy there that you were sensing?
Christopher Bates: It was little things, you know, just walking on this shopping street. I saw this guy who had a necklace, but it was tied around his wrist.
um [00:07:00] And I just thought that was really creative. Like I knew it was a necklace and it was just the way that he had done it. And I remember seeing guys when I was at the clubs and they were the first ones, they were like showing their ankles, they had tapered pants They might have even had some kind of elastic at the bottom and then they'd have dress shoes on and you could see their ankles. And that was like, I'd never seen that before, but I have to say, I thought it looked awesome.
It looked really cool and really fresh. Like they were still business and, um you know, well-dressed and presentable, but with a really cool forward kind of edge.
So small things like that, that just kind of started registering and that um I've never forgotten.
Donna Bishop: And do you still think of small details like as you're designing even now? Like it sounds like that's a bedrock value of Christopher Bates.
Christopher Bates: Exactly. and Yeah. The details are really important. I think that's what differentiates, you know, my products and [00:08:00] my aesthetic from other brands. I start with the fabrics. First of all, that's a really important detail. Okay.
And then I think, you know, what should this fabric become? Because I know now that I have experience, especially if I find a beautiful fabric, I'm like, oh, the drape of this, the feel, the weight, the functionality, this is going to be a trench coat.
I just know immediately how it's going to look and feel like, I have an imagination. you know People have a photographic memory. I have a photographic imagination.
I can see things in full detail. So that's part of it. And then I don't like to have too many competing things going on. And I think that's where a lot of designers and brands get lost is like, oh, what if we add this? And what if we do this? And what if we do this?
My philosophy is actually the opposite. And it's a famous quote by St. Antoine Exupéry, who said, Perfection is achieved not when there's nothing left to add, but when there's nothing left to [00:09:00] take away.
Interesting.
So that's my approach. And it's not automatically minimal. It doesn't necessarily mean minimalism, like classic Jill Sander or something, which I love. But it just means don't have too many competing elements.
The details become really important and even smaller details. It can be something on the inside or the back, but it doesn't necessarily mean, you know, details that are in your face.
So, yeah, the details are a big part of, you know, my consideration for everything I design.
Donna Bishop: How did you decide, because you did education post-secondary in um in British Columbia, your liberal arts as well as a marketing degree, and then you went to Italy.
Was that your only like destination? Like if I'm going to go study design, that's where it's going to be. Tell me about how your education has helped shape who you are and your brand.
Christopher Bates: Yeah, um you know, when I graduated from high school, I didn't really know what I wanted to do [00:10:00] yet. So I just - I went to university, started taking all different types of classes that I was just interested in. I didn't really have a set plan.
um So, you know, I ended up working towards a Bachelor of Arts degree and I graduated from UBC. And by that point, I really, really liked marketing and because you know it was a creative aspect of business. It was something that I was interested in and that I liked, and that seemed like a good career move.
So I went to BCIT, a great business school. I studied marketing communications. I really, you know, worked hard and was really into it.
And then after graduating, I worked for a boutique marketing firm in Vancouver for five years. Now, this was still early s. So during this period was when I was traveling to Europe every summer and, you know, as my vacation.
And, you know, it [00:11:00] was during that period when, you know, it all sort of dawned on me, you know, what I had mentors actually, and I know this is something that we're going to talk about, but I had mentors from a young age. And one of the questions they asked me was, if you can do anything and not fail, what would it be?
Donna Bishop: Oh, that's a powerful question.
Christopher Bates: It is, it's just, it's a different way of framing it. It's not just like, oh, if you could do anything, it's like, no, it's, there's more to it than that. So I really thought about that a lot. And, you know, it hit me like a lightning bolt. Like this was, I was working for the marketing firm, but I was, I was years old. had just got back from Europe and I'm thinking like, what do I want to do with my life?
Do I want to do marketing? And the answer was no. And I knew that. And the next question was this, you know, if you could do anything and not fail, what would it be? For me, it was like a lightning bolt. It's like, you've always been, always wanted to be a designer, like be honest with yourself, right?[00:12:00]
Yeah.
And so I knew that's what I wanted to do. Although I didn't know how to sew, I didn't know how to make patterns and I was actually terrible at drawing by hand. I was terrible. So there were some hurdles to be overcome.
Donna Bishop: It sounds like you were blessed with people in your life that encouraged you to trust your gut.
Christopher Bates: Yeah, very lucky in that respect. and It's funny, like I remember telling people when I was serious that I wanted to do this, like, no, I'm, I'm moving to Milan to become a designer. Um, and my mentors were like not surprised at all.
And these are, you know, kind of old fashioned German people that we grew up with and,
Yeah.
I was like, oh, that's interesting that they weren't surprised. And it's like, no, they know me. They know, you know, how much Europe means to me and creativity and things like that. So they weren't surprised.
ah My mom as well, super supportive. and I remember my boss at the [00:13:00] time from the marketing firm. And she was like, Christopher, that industry will eat you up and spit you out.
And... And I said, okay, you know, thank you, Diane, you know, who, who I consider a dear friend and a mentor as well, like Russ, God rest her soul. She passed a couple years ago, but she was a really important person in my life.
And listen, it is a really tough industry. So what she said isn't wrong, you know?
For sure.
yeah And I remember when I was starting out, I used to work with Adrian Fluvog, who's the son of John Fluvog. And we worked at the same bar when I was in university.
And then I'm getting into fashion. So I call up Adrian. I'm like, hey, do you think I can talk to your dad sometime? I want to be a designer. So he very politely set up a meeting between me and his dad. And so John met me in Gastown in Vancouver.
[00:14:00] And the first thing he said to me was, how brave are you? Donna Bishop: o
Christopher Bates: And, and I said, John, I have no fear. and I'm brave, you know, I'm going to do, I'm going to do this. And, you know, he was, he was impressed, you know, with my, I guess, bravado or, or whatever it was, but, um, it's a really good question to ask. And, and it's something that, you know, now I speak with a lot of young people in the industry and, um,
you know, whenever they ask me about getting into it and doing what I do, I actually ask them that same question because it's like, you know, it is a really tough industry. And what I tell them is, you know, you have to be tougher.
You have to be able to handle rejection.
Yeah.
You have to believe in yourself. and it's, it is, it is that tough.
Donna Bishop: it it I mean, I think for so many creative industries, fashion certainly in particular, you need a core of self-belief. [00:15:00] that just will, you know, keep you steady no matter what challenges, because God knows there will be, you know, the valleys times more than the hills, than the peaks sometimes, you know.
yeah
And like, you're you're I just think you're so lucky to have had people to encourage you to develop that inner core of self-assurance.
Christopher Bates: Yeah, you're right. i I would not be here where I am without, you know, the support of the people around me growing up, you know, the mentors and, you know, everyone it's, it's huge, you know, and I, I thank them. I mean, I tell them as well, so it's, you know, I really do appreciate it and you know I've used whatever knowledge that they've imparted to me, I've used it.
Absolutely.
And I think you know that's something that I hope you know they recognize and appreciate that you know they weren't wasting their time with me because I took it very seriously, even when I was a kid. And you know maybe I seemed [00:16:00] not so serious. I was.
I just think it takes time for people to evolve.
Donna Bishop: Absolutely. What does design school application look like for, you know, someone in their mid to late s with, as you said, you know, didn't know sewing, didn't know, wasn't a great sketcher.
Yeah.
Like, how did you get from there into design school? Was it a fluke and it was just like one and done? Were there interviews? What was that process like for you?
Christopher Bates: That's a good question. and i was intimidated to even apply to design school because i was so poor at drawing. You know I didn't have the typical skill set you need to enter the program.
But a friend of mine who I used to work out with, he said, did you know that you can learn how to draw? And I said, no, I didn't actually know that. I always thought it was something people were born with or not. And I was not.
Okay. And he's like, no, there's a book. It's called like drawing from [00:17:00] the right side of the brain or something.
For real.
And I'm like, okay, that's that's cool.
Yeah.
So I bought the book. I did a couple exercises, but honestly, I didn't dig into it too much. What that book gave me was at least the confidence that I could learn, okay?
yeah
So when I'm putting together my application, like I really played played up my background in graphic design because I had done some graphic design in school at BCIT. I did a program in that.
And then part of my work with the marketing agency involved...
In this latest episode of FashionTalks host Donna Bishop talks with Myriam Maguire, President and Lead Designer of the award winning brand Maguire (founded in 2017). While the 2024 CAFA winner of Accessories Designer of the Year has focused on footwear, it is ever expanding its offerings into a wider range of accessories.
Donna and Myriam dive into:
- her story of launching the brand and what sparked her love of footwear
- unique strategies that resulted in a successful launch and growth, both creative and fiscal
- a peak behind the curtain of show production
- her take on consumer and business trends in this turbulent times
Maguire Shoes - @maguireshoes - www.magguireshoes.com
Donna Bishop - @thisisdonnab
FashionTalks - @fashiontalkspod
CAFA Awards - @cafawards
TRANSCRIPT:
Donna Bishop
Myriam, welcome to Fashion Talks. It's so wonderful to have you here today.
00:04.58
Myriam
Yeah, thank you for having me.
00:06.99
Donna Bishop
So I love to start with the same question, which is, when was the moment where you were aware that fashion had more power than just clothing that protected us from the elements? When did you realize that there was something more to it than that?
00:22.04
Myriam
I think like when I was in high school, like I was in high school in like the 90s and the early two thousand So the style was pretty conservative. It was kind of grunge, like a lot of navy, dark colors.
00:36.06
Donna Bishop
Okay.
00:36.03
Myriam
and the And then I was looking at magazines and I would see these fun like Mick 60 ads and like things that were really colorful. So I decided high school to wear zebra pants, even though it was like not on trend. It was not a thing.
00:51.52
Myriam
And then I realized that everyone was like confused and started looking at me differently. So I was like, and and then it kind of, I think ah kind of built my self-confidence that I was, I could wear something different and I can be any, anything I want, even though like there's like very, and and especially in the nineties and the 2000, it was like the style, there was like one or two style and that's it. You had to be part of a group.
01:17.75
Myriam
And I think not, being part of a group and being completely different, I think made made me realize that the the power of fashion and how you can like be anything you want, basically.
01:31.14
Donna Bishop
I love stories like that where we realize, like, to me, there's such a paradox where we realize that the power of fashion comes from being being different, but yet sometimes we're dressing to fit in. Like, I love feeling that, you know, that that tension between those two things.
01:46.66
Myriam
And I think there was, because there was like different group, but everyone would accept me in like my difference. They would be like, I wouldn't wear it, but it looks really good on you.
01:57.46
Myriam
Like that's what I would get in terms of comments. So I felt like it was nice to feel free to do whatever you want, basically.
02:01.31
Donna Bishop
Yeah.
02:06.83
Donna Bishop
And where did you grow up, Miriam? where did you yeah like Where did you go to school? What kind of kid were you when you were young?
02:12.46
Myriam
Yes, so I grew up in the and the suburb of Quebec City. So Quebec City is a really French town. and Growing up, like a lot of people in English class would say like, why are we learning English? We're never going to use it. That that was like the kind of thing.
02:29.37
Myriam
that people would say in my class and I was not really good in languages I was like I was kind of an average student that was really good in art and I was also in like swimming and I was also doing swimming competitions so I was like a I like to be competitive but I was also artistic so I think what I do today it's a combination of like competition and being really artistic. So I think it's, I'm still the same person that I was when I was young.
03:01.26
Donna Bishop
I love that ah there was an activeness in you. So obviously footwear, because you know if you're moving around, like that makes sense.
03:06.79
Myriam
Yep.
03:08.92
Donna Bishop
Have you always been ah interested in in shoes? Has that always been a part of your fashion story?
03:15.06
Myriam
Yeah, it was always, you know, when you're younger, you cannot afford a lot of clothes. So your parents will buy you a ah few things. And then I always love to have really special shoes because I felt they would like light up all my outfit. They would make all my outfits special.
03:31.49
Myriam
So I remember, I think when I was in sixth grade, again, no one was wearing anything eccentric, but I have like pewter metallic shoes that no one ever so saw. i think I got them at Le Château.
03:45.23
Myriam
and And then I was like super happy about that. So I think I always I was always into shoes. My mom told me I was choosing my shoes when I was four years old. So it was always a thing for me for some reason.
03:58.45
Donna Bishop
I mean, it's it's the whole Wizard of Oz thing, right? Like, you know, a pair of shoes is transportive, you know, in the fairy tales, but also in terms of it can take an outfit that might be quite classic and simple and, you know, add some sparkle and some noise and some color, right?
04:12.68
Myriam
Yep. Yep.
04:16.33
Donna Bishop
Where did you go after high school? what is your What was your educational track that got you to where you are?
04:22.27
Myriam
So basically when you know when you're 13, 14, you have a class and they ask you to choose what you're going to do when you grow up. So I went through the the entire book and I was looking, I was like, I want to be a shoe designer.
04:34.73
Myriam
And I went to like the the entire ah pamphlet, like it was like the different school and the different program.
04:41.24
Donna Bishop
Okay.
04:42.70
Myriam
And I couldn't find any shoe program. And then through research, I realized that a lot of shoe designers were trained as industrial designers. So that's why I, from when I was 19, I moved from Quebec City to Montreal to study four years in the industrial design at University of Montreal.
05:01.38
Myriam
And then I did a year at University of the Art in London to at a place called Cornwainer's. which is a school that specializes in shoes.
05:12.06
Myriam
And it's also where Jimmy Choo studied. So this is how I was able to find find it.
05:16.02
Donna Bishop
Oh, yeah.
05:17.23
Myriam
Because I had a book with different shoe designers. And I saw that he studied there. And at the time, I think the pounds was three times the Canadian dollar. And I wanted to do the three years BA.
05:29.32
Myriam
And my parents were like, we won't like remortgage our house for you to be able to go to London to study shoes.
05:33.92
Donna Bishop
Yeah.
05:37.20
Myriam
So that's why I did the first. And then by the time I graduated university, there was a one year program that was costing a lot less money. So I was able to like take a loan and do it for a year.
05:51.44
Myriam
So that's how I started.
05:54.12
Donna Bishop
And before we get to the to the birth of Maguire in 2017, what were you doing before then? when were you Where were you gathering your professional experience?
06:03.50
Myriam
So yeah, so after London, I applied to a place called Fabrica, which is a design research center based in Italy, close to Venice. And it was owned by a United Colour Benetton.
06:16.17
Myriam
So it was owned by a fashion brand, but they would basically pay for your flight ticket, your food, your rent, like they would pay for everything and give you a salary.
06:27.02
Myriam
And then you would just be an artist in residence. So I was, ah so I applied to do that. And I thought I would never get it. And I got in. So there was like, I think, 3000 application a year.
06:38.44
Myriam
And it would take around 30 to 40 people from all around the world in different fields. So I did that for a year. And then i also went to work at after that, I went to work at Aldo and I worked there for almost six years.
06:53.85
Myriam
So, so that's what I was doing. And it's where I learned most of my footwear, like knowledge and experience. It's really working at Aldo and I had the chance to be working with Aldo, the owner, because he's very, he's very involved in the product.
07:07.48
Donna Bishop
ah
07:10.13
Myriam
And I saw him two weeks ago and he was still doing product. He was still very involved with the samples. So, I think like I see myself in him in the fact that I also the product is what interests me the most.
07:25.02
Myriam
And I also work with his wife that was a buyer for Aldo in the 80s and the 90s. And so she taught me a lot about like buying and following the store and like rone rotating the stock and all these things.
07:41.68
Myriam
like knowledge that I never learned as like a designer so I learned like kind of the the business working with her and then I learned like all the factory side talking with the factories negotiating prices with Aldo and other I mean obviously other people that worked there for like many years so I had a really good there experience in footwear before starting my business
08:05.74
Donna Bishop
It sounds like you had almost like the perfect scenario of the creative education and then your professional career was like the the business part of the of the of the equation that you needed to be perfectly prepared to launch your own brand.
08:21.18
Myriam
Yeah, and like, it was not really my goal from the beginning working at Aldo. I was like, we'll see how things goes. And when I want change, maybe I go work somewhere else. Like, and it was not like clear that I wanted to start a business when I started working there.
08:37.78
Donna Bishop
When was the moment where you thought, I've got to start my own thing?
08:42.18
Myriam
So I worked at different departments at Aldo doing different things. I did material sourcing. I've worked for Little Burgundy where I learned a lot about the business and Little Burgundy was a smaller division. So I was able to touch to like a lot of different things.
08:58.11
Myriam
And so I did that. I did material sourcing in Asia and in Europe. Then I designed dress shoes for Aldo. And at some point I went in a division that would do private label for other ah companies.
09:14.76
Myriam
And then a i started doing shoes for Target and Tesco. Like they were a client.
09:21.55
Donna Bishop
Mm-hmm.
09:22.93
Myriam
But when I did that, the quality of the product was not the best. I mean, it was not super important, like the design and like the fashion part of it. It was more about like, can is this shoe like affordable and can sell to as many people as possible?
09:41.09
Myriam
so I feel like working in like super fast fashion, made me want to do like the exact opposite. So like instead of chasing for like the cheaper price and the most generic product that will fit to as many people as possible, I realized I wanted to do the opposite.
09:53.93
Donna Bishop
Thank you.
09:58.15
Myriam
So go in Europe where the quality is the highest. and not worry about how much things cost because I'm just going to like charge a fair price and be really being able to design something unique.
10:12.49
Myriam
and When you do big volume, there's not often colors. So you're going to do a black tan, off-white maybe. And i was like, okay, like, and then I did the opposite. I started doing really fun and special colors that you wouldn't see often, because I was able to produce in small quantities. So I did the exact opposite.
10:31.84
Myriam
So for a year, when while I was designing for these big brands, I was thinking about it. I was listening to podcasts about how to start a business. and they And then at some point I got a i got a bonus of $15,000 and I was like, that's it. Like have enough money to start a business.
10:52.40
Myriam
And it's funny when I told Aldo two weeks ago, he was like, yeah, I and i never thought you were going to start a business with $15,000. It might seem a lot for people that don't know, but with $15,000, I was able to buy one style in two colors.
11:09.24
Myriam
And that's it. And that's all you get.
11:11.14
Donna Bishop
Well, that's part of my next question is because, you know, it's one thing to start, like when I'm thinking of starting an apparel brand, like there's a certain amount of like, like the, the upfront investment is significant. But when I think of shoes, like that just feels like a completely different beast. Like how did you decide what your initial design was going to be?
11:32.11
Myriam
I think I had a friend that was working at the time in an iron factory in China. And he had like a lot of connection and they were working with a lot of iron brands.
11:43.40
Myriam
So they found, I think it was like the construction that was used by Common Project at the time. So like the same last or something like that.
11:51.62
Donna Bishop
Thank you.
11:52.03
Myriam
So we took this last and we designed a sneaker because we thought, okay, a sneaker, everyone need one but the thing is like it's very competitive to do a leather sneaker like we sold it really well because the design was unique there was a big velcro on top and it was really minimalist at the time it was super different but it's really hard to compete in the sneaker category because you're competing with nike rebook all these brands that do special collaboration for like a hundred dollar
12:23.82
Myriam
And when you produce in our iron factory, your sneakers have to be over $200 sometimes. so i So it's a hard category to compete at because people are used to get sneakers at $60, $70.
12:30.20
Donna Bishop
Okay.
12:37.84
Myriam
So it's hard to compete in that category. But we still started with that and it did well. And not long after we did a winter boot that also really helped the brand to grow. and Because like we're in Canada and winter is a big thing and people are ready to invest in winter products. So that's we did a Kickstarter that also brought a lot of money in to be able to start the bread.
13:03.36
Donna Bishop
Online shopping is something we are just so used to right now. Can you talk a little bit about what that landscape was like when you started? Because a D2C shoe company, we kind of take that as something that's so normal right now. But what was the climate like for that when you started?
13:21.36
Myriam
So when I started, Instagram was there already. it was already a thing. and And the so when I started working in shoes, there was no Instagram. And when you wanted to look for shoes, you had to go in person in different countries to look at the different collection.
13:39.06
Myriam
That's what we used to do before internet and before online shopping. So only when I started, only like a few brands at website in 2009. and And then that when we would look for like a red shoe, for example, we would enter it in Google red shoes. There would be like 15 pictures.
13:58.41
Myriam
Like now it's like endless.
13:58.91
Donna Bishop
um Imagine. Yeah.
14:00.36
Myriam
But at the time, it's like 15 people.
14:01.09
Donna Bishop
yeah
14:02.12
Myriam
Like we didn't have much. So we were doing a lot of real in real life shopping. But by the time I finished, Instagram was like there for a year or i maybe two, three years.
14:14.06
Myriam
So I could see that people started to sell via their Instagram. They were building brands with Instagram and you didn't have to do traditional wholesale because I was like, oh, I can't afford to do traditional wholesale because I don't have the money for all these samples. I don't have money for cash down. or I don't have like i have nothing to start a brand.
14:34.90
Myriam
but directly with the customer, it was something like Everlane just started and they were like the first one doing doing transparent pricing. And I was really inspired by that.
14:46.63
Myriam
So, so that's what inspired me. I was seeing like also Glossy was starting and I was, Oh, yeah.
14:52.19
Donna Bishop
Oh, sorry, Miriam. Sorry, you you froze there.
14:55.07
Myriam
Okay.
14:55.36
Donna Bishop
So we'll we'll edit it out. But can you go back to starting, like when you're talking about the the customer and Instagram, you froze for a couple of minutes.
14:57.39
Myriam
Okay.
15:01.99
Myriam
It should be better now because I saw you ah my partner just finished his call. so So it should be better.
15:07.35
Donna Bishop
No problem. but the
15:09.12
Myriam
And so, yeah. So when I, I'm just going to take a pause so you can edit.
15:16.85
Myriam
So when I started the business, I think like and Instagram was there for maybe two, three years. And I was starting to see direct consumer brands.
15:27.43
Myriam
So like Glossy was just starting Everlane with their transparent pricing was just starting. And I think these kind of direct consumer brand inspire me to start Maguire because I was like, okay,
15:35.94
Donna Bishop
yeah
15:38.99
Myriam
during ah Warby Parker did the the glasses. So it was at that time. And I was like, and I saw also Frank and Oak that was from Montreal that was doing a lot of online sale.
15:49.46
Myriam
And it was like booming at the time. And we had some friends in common.
15:53.09
Donna Bishop
are
15:53.58
Myriam
So yeah, And so that's why I was like, I was, there I was inspired by that. So, so I said, okay, no one is doing it in shoes and direct consumer model is, works really well for shoes because I would go to factory and see iron production at the same place than low end production.
16:15.28
Myriam
So I would be like, what's, what's the difference? So, And the price were the same. So it's just that some people...
On this episode of FashionTalks host Donna Bishop chats with designer Alan Anderson. Alan has been designing his eponymous line since 1997. His fashion history (and British Royals) knowledge is deep and vast. Alan and Donna discuss:
- how he began his line (an inspiration for anyone)
- the history and importance of costume jewelry
- the fascinating story of where he sources the vintage crystals he used in his designs
- his connection to Elizabeth Taylor
- the lost art of every day dressing up
- and more
Alan Anderson - @jewelsbyalan | alananderson.design
Donna Bishop - @thisisdonnab
FashionTalks - @fashiontalkspod
CAFA Awards - @cafawards
TRANSCRIPT:
00:01.27
Donna Bishop
Alan Anderson, it is so wonderful to have you here on Fashion Talks. Thanks for being here.
00:05.81
Alan
Thank you, Donna. Thank you for asking me.
00:08.02
Donna Bishop
And look at you in your beautiful atelier. I know we'll get into, you know, kind of your your work and all sorts of things about crystals and costume jewelry, but I love that you're in your workspace.
00:20.06
Donna Bishop
It's so nice to get peek behind the curtain that way.
00:21.36
Alan
I am. I'm actually in the workroom. The atelier, of course, is in this historic mansion on Jarvis Street in Toronto. And we we like to say it's one of the last Gilded Age mansions.
00:33.61
Alan
There's just this little stretch between Carleton and Isabella where we've they've saved these beautiful Victorian buildings.
00:34.83
Donna Bishop
Thank you.
00:40.33
Alan
So we've been here now. It's weird to say we've been in this space over two years and we just signed the new four-year lease, which is kind of exciting. And we're going to be expanding. We're actually renovating this summer to make the showroom bigger.
00:53.43
Alan
But the workspace is, this would have been one of the principal bedrooms in this beautiful house. This house is This half is 1891. The showroom half is 1897. It was built for Edward Blake, who was one of the first premiers of Ontario.
01:09.10
Alan
And it's Elliot Knox, one of the foremost Victorian architects in Toronto. And 1900, Jarvis Street was the most fashionable address in Canada, which is really funny to think. Like this was the Gilded Age show. This was the Gilded Age.
01:28.93
Alan
And then the history of this building is so intense because not only do I work in this room and I pulled the blinds down cause it's so sunny out. Um, but Ben Wicks, the famous cartoonist, we all grew up with Ben Wicks.
01:42.29
Alan
Be nice, clear your eyes for 20 years.
01:43.65
Donna Bishop
Absolutely.
01:46.21
Alan
This was Ben Wicks cartoon studio and where my work bench is in the window was where his cartoon bench was. And I've actually had people in the neighborhood that are old enough to remember him.
01:58.34
Alan
Say they used to look up and seeing him, seeing him, him drawing it as bench and they see me working. And I think that's so amazing. I will say it's the creative energy in this place. It pulses with amazing energy.
02:11.37
Donna Bishop
Well, and Gilded Age is such a perfect um aura to bring into your work, and we'll get into it. But first, I want to start a little more personal, because I love starting off with this question.
02:16.94
Alan
Absolutely.
02:22.72
Donna Bishop
i believe that all of us who love fashion, especially those of us who work in fashion, we have a moment when we realize that clothing and fashion is something that carries far more power than just protecting our bodies from the elements.
02:37.44
Donna Bishop
And I'm wondering what memory you have of that moment for yourself.
02:41.24
Alan
I can actually pinpoint my love affair with jewelry. And I guess this is that aha moment. So my mother's family, my mother was English, my mother's 97 in a nursing home and she had three sisters and all of her sisters were interesting and eccentric and funny, but my mother's oldest sister, Auntie Marie,
03:05.89
Alan
and you used to, we we, we, as kids, we went and back and forth between England and Canada. And I always say England's my second home, but Auntie Marie was the oldest, very strong, very clothes centric, glamorous into fashion and was lifelong friends with Norman Hartnell that designed all the queen's clothes and Auntie Marie loved jewelry.
03:30.60
Alan
And you know, the old, the old adage about put it on and take something off. Well, Auntie Marie would have added another piece. And as a kid, she used to always, every day of her life, she wore brooches and pearls and rings, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.
03:47.36
Alan
And she wore 10 carat emerald on her hand that her and uncle Eric bought in Istanbul. And when I was a kid, they'd visit
03:56.73
Donna Bishop
wow
03:59.74
Alan
And she would always pull it off and let me play with this big emerald ring. And I was absolutely amazed by that and all of her other jewelry. And it's so funny because now, you know, as a 58 year old man, still every collection I make emerald.
04:18.95
Alan
And, you know, as you know, green is my favorite color. Emerald green is my favorite color. And I really think. And I think Auntie Marie, because I believe.
04:30.05
Alan
that had she not let me play with her jewelry, I don't think I would have been as turned on and as into it. And this, so there's, that's one story. Then the other story that's very funny, and it's just, it's, I think it's really foreshadowing of how your life is gonna be.
04:47.97
Alan
So when my mother was pregnant with me, um they were living in Montreal. And my mother, you know, like in and the 60s, everybody packed a little suitcase to go to the the hospital.
05:01.08
Alan
And the morning that she discovered that I was on route, um my father was terrible in crises. My father would always panic and meltdown in crises. And instead of picking up her suitcase that was packed to go to the hospital, he grabbed this train case that was on her dressing table and spilled all her costume jewelry.
05:19.03
Alan
across the floor of the bedroom en route to the hospital. And I laughed about that and said, well, if you didn't know that I was going to be into deciding jewelry, cusdy it's that's I love that story.
05:27.56
Donna Bishop
Destiny.
05:31.61
Donna Bishop
what kind of kid were you, Alan? Like, were you someone who, like, were you into fashion as a young person? Do you have that history of poring over fashion magazines, even, you know, as a, as a, like, pre-teenager even?
05:42.84
Alan
Yeah.
05:46.39
Alan
Catalogs, you know, we all grew up in the age of the catalog. which nobody even remembers anymore. The Simpsons catalogs, the Eatons catalogs that were like phone books. And I loved color. I've always loved color. And, you know, I have brown eyes, so I was always dressed in brown. and My late brother had blue eyes, so Andrew was always dressed in blue.
06:07.94
Alan
And I hated brown. and I always wanted color. So when did we got, you know, you get into your teens, my very first job was my paper route. And I remember my mother got so upset because I'd spent the entire summer cutting grass and weeding gardens and my paper route.
06:27.78
Alan
And I went out and I blew my, everything I had on a pair of Valley of Switzerland loafers, which is so funny. They were a huge brand. Valley of Switzerland was like the Rolls Royce of shoes in this going back into the seventies.
06:41.85
Alan
And Eaton's used to have a department called Timothy E. It was a young man's and I bought, a bright turquoise and green shirt.
06:53.12
Donna Bishop
Well, it's no surprise to me how you ended up working at B.B.
06:53.33
Alan
And
06:56.72
Donna Bishop
Bargoons if your love of fat of of color was a driving was a driving force.
07:00.30
Alan
yeah.
07:02.33
Donna Bishop
Was that one of your, it was another early profession, no?
07:02.70
Alan
Yeah.
07:05.78
Donna Bishop
Yeah.
07:05.94
Alan
Yeah. And it was BB Bargoons was one of the most fun, outrageous places to work. um we We still like the carpet that's in the showroom. I just, that I got this year,
07:17.84
Alan
ah My friend Amy works in the carpet industry and she worked at BB Bargoons. And my friend Scott, you met Scott at Christmas, was here. And we've all stayed in touch. We call ourselves Bargooners. And this is, we haven't worked there since 1993.
07:31.01
Alan
But it was ah the most creative environment. Everybody was prized for their creativity. It was social. It was fun. um It was the excess of the 80s and 90s. So when you were opening stores, I opened at least 10 BB Bargoons.
07:48.40
Alan
We had 24 corporate stores. I did all the windows for them. And there was never, you know, somebody saying you can't spend as much on the window. It was always, oh, it's fabulous. Let's do it.
08:01.13
Alan
And that's where I got a taste for textiles and fabrics and color and Passamontri trims. And so it's it's, I guess it's in my DNA.
08:11.15
Donna Bishop
Well, it sounds like even if fashion with a capital F wasn't something you were consciously seeking out, so much of the world that fashion exists in, in terms of color and creativity and texture and layering and possibility was very much a constant.
08:29.57
Alan
It was. And in high school, um i wanted to go to Ryerson, and which it was Ryerson then, ah TMU. I wanted to go to Ryerson and take fashion design.
08:40.96
Alan
And my father, being a very hard-headed Scotsman, was like, literally his words were, there's no bloody way a son of mine's designing bloody dresses. And they said no.
08:52.82
Alan
And if you, when I, like a couple of years ago i had to clean up mom's place before she went into a nursing home and i found things from high school and all through my high school there's sketches of dresses and i was a doodler and it's so funny that you know cyclically so i worked in the late 80s got my real estate license sold real estate for two years joined bb bargoons because i hated real estate worked at bb bargoons It unfortunately suffered in the early 90s and disappeared. And I moved to the Hudson's Bay, Queen Street, where I was there for over 15 years. And I was their senior technician with 26 people in a display department. And I built props and I've done windows and you name it, I've done it.
09:36.32
Alan
And here I am, you know, I started my jewelry business at nights and weekends while I was working at the Bay. I taught myself to build jewelry at my kitchen table and through flukes of how your life at the minute changes, um I got an opportunity to to do my very first trunk show at Holt Renfrew just because friend was wearing a brooch on her coat and the buyers were on the floor.
10:02.43
Alan
The great Pat DiBrato and debor Barbara Atkins were on the floor and they got my phone number from Evelyn and they brought me in and I did a trunk show over the holidays. So I would be working at the Bay all week, building the jewelry at night and weekends, getting it plated and then on the weekends over the holidays, every Saturday and Sunday, I would get dressed up and go up to Holt Renfrew, Blair street with Mary, the jewelry fairy, Mary Morgan, who's legendary. She has flaming red hair and glasses and she ran the jewelry department and I would sell jewelry on weekends. And that's how I started my first retail experiences as a designer. And, uh,
10:43.43
Alan
Then got an opportunity to show at when Robin Kay was doing fashion week down on King street in those tents, those amazing Toronto fashion weeks on King street that were. Unbelievably fabulous and international and what Toronto should have as a fashion week.
10:59.15
Alan
And, uh, I showed jewelry down there for a week and I wasn't able to take any time off to do it. And I took the plunge. My manager at the time, she wouldn't let me have the time off, even though I had the vacation.
11:12.14
Alan
So after 15 years, I quit. I just quit. That's it. And I said, this is an opportunity I can't miss. And I made enough through the experience to pay my rent for three months. And that's how my business started that and and a credit card.
11:27.38
Donna Bishop
I want to go back to the time when you are working your day job and also building your jewelry at night, because this is this is you know this is the moment of just push it forward, just do it.
11:40.23
Donna Bishop
What inspired you to buy the soldering iron and and teach yourself how to build?
11:48.00
Alan
Well, i have i have a ah very dear friend who's a mentor, a best friend. His name is Robert Sorrell. He lives in New York. And Robert Sorrell is sort of legendary in the jewelry world. In the 90s, he was doing all of the runway jewelry for Terry Mugler's Parisian couture shows.
12:06.01
Alan
Those big pagoda headpieces and the sea serpent bracelets and all that 90s excess Mugler that was so fabulous. And I met Robert through a fluke at a fundraiser.
12:18.00
Alan
I was sat next to him at a fundraiser in Buffalo. It was an AIDS fundraiser that we'd gone down for. And we started talking and I was going to be in New York the next month just for a trip.
12:32.10
Alan
And he said, you come to New York, you know, come over and see what I do. And he was very kind. I said, I'd love to. So I went to New York the next month and Robert took me to a wholesaler.
12:43.41
Alan
And he was going that day to pick up some stones he needed. And he said oh, you might find this interesting. So I went with him and I walked into this warehouse in the middle of Manhattan and an old office building packed with boxes of Chris to the point you heard them crunch underfoot as you walk beads and crystals. It was, and i was just gobsmacked and mesmerized by what was there.
13:09.72
Alan
And so at the time, It's so funny. You think this is going back and this is 1996. bought, I think there was like $1,300 room on my visa card and I maxed out my visa card and I bought a huge box that he had to set ship back to me with like UPS.
13:29.64
Alan
And I came and he also very kindly at his apartment showed me the soldering wand and the torch he used. And he literally said, well, this is how you do this and this and this and this. And I'm like a sponge. And he said, go home and play and have fun. So I came back to Toronto.
13:44.97
Donna Bishop
And what inspired, like you'd never built jewelry before. Like, was it just sort of a feeling that you had?
13:48.44
Alan
No.
13:50.18
Donna Bishop
Like, what were you thinking?
13:50.84
Alan
It's like, oh, I think I want to do that. I was like, I just think I want to do this. You know, um I always laugh. I'm the sort of person like in the in the early 90s, I needed a new couch. And instead of buying a new couch, I took my old couch apart.
14:05.33
Alan
used it as a pattern, bought the fabric from BB Bargoons and reupholstered it in the opposite. And it looked like it was professionally done. And I guess I have one of those brains that I can pick something up and think, how is this, you know, it's, it yeah, Donna, I don't know.
14:21.98
Alan
You know, it's, it's one of those weird things. So,
14:25.21
Donna Bishop
But you must have had a sense that it was possible, right? Like there was something, there was a little inner voice that was saying, you could do this.
14:28.53
Alan
well, it was possible.
14:32.94
Alan
Yeah. And the other thing is, and I think this is the freedom with what I do is I've never had anybody in a class say to me, you can't do that.
14:45.06
Alan
Nobody's ever given me a parameter to say, you can't do that. You can't do it this way. I've always had to figure out when you're building in 3d and three dimension, you have to figure out how does it move? How does it act? How does it feel? How does it sit?
14:59.35
Alan
You've worn my jewelry. You know how it sits and feels and it's flexible and it's fluid. So because I've never had anybody tell me no, I'm just it is.
15:09.66
Donna Bishop
which is very blessed.
15:11.69
Alan
So I've just played and experimented and learned and perfected my craft. and you know, there is that what's it called? It's um the 10,000 hour rule.
15:23.31
Donna Bishop
Mm-hmm.
15:23.49
Alan
That if you do something for 10,000 hours, you master that, whatever skill it is, if it's writing or whatever it is, baking. Well, I started doing this in 1997 was 1997 actually would be. And, uh, so when you think from 1997 till here we are 2025, probably done the 10,000 about seven, eight times working, you know, six, seven days a week, sometimes 12 hour days.
15:45.13
Alan
i've probably done the ten thousand hours about seven eight times working you know six seven days a week sometimes twelve hour days And you will learn, you learn.
15:54.34
Donna Bishop
what when did you When did you decide it was going to be a business?
15:56.08
Alan
i
15:58.78
Donna Bishop
Because I can hear the creative maker side of you like firing on all...
Hello and welcome to season five of FashionTalks. I am your host, Donna Bishop. I know it has been a minute, so thank you so much for joining me today. I'm so glad you're here.
I can think of no better guest than to launch this season than Jeanne Beker. Now, Jeannie's been on the podcast before. I'll link it down below. And we talked then about her 27 years as host of fashion television, which transformed the fashion media landscape.
Past episode with Jeanne:
SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/episode/59AYV2Pr1QbfDssPC5QnD7?si=nxfSt2MZT9upb_ROiIHo0w
APPLE PODCASTS: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/fashiontalks/id1271856693?i=1000623963957
Today, we are talking about her latest book and newest memoir, Heart on My Sleeve. It is full of intimate, funny, warm, always open and personal stories from all facets of her life and the articles of clothing that inspired them.
Transcript:
Donna Bishop
Jeannie Becker, it is so wonderful to have you here on Fashion Talks. Thank you so much for joining me.
00:06.49
Jeanne Beker
Well, thanks for inviting Always love talking with you, Donna.
00:10.41
Donna Bishop
oh my gosh, it's such a pleasure. So I always start with the same question and I'm quite delighted because I feel like given our conversation is going to be around your new book, the memoir, Heart on My Sleeve, I love to ask people, because I believe that all of us who love fashion, who work in fashion, have a moment when we realize that clothing, that fashion holds a power that is more than just protecting our bodies from the sun, the wind, the rain, the snow.
00:37.06
Donna Bishop
And I'm wondering if there's a moment where you remember harnessing or acknowledging that power.
00:44.05
Jeanne Beker
I mean, I think from my earliest memories as a little girl, you know, the the party dresses that I would wear, I mean, that that was always a big deal. ah you know That was the thing that you just look forward to the most.
00:57.02
Jeanne Beker
I mean, I know these days, lots of little girls have actual costumes that they wear, you know, like princess costumes and whatnot. I mean, it back in the day, for me, it was just those party dresses with the the crinolines and you know the taffeta dresses, organza dresses, the frills, the lace, the but little applique flowers.
01:05.04
Donna Bishop
Thank you.
01:18.40
Jeanne Beker
you know So I can't remember specifically there's ah this whole... you know batch of them that I that I have in my in my mind's eye right now but so specifically you know when that was you know I wore my first party dress but I always realized that you know yes that meant a special time and it was incredibly empowering because you just felt the most beautiful in that dress the most beautiful you'd ever seen yourself so definitely going back to my childhood birthday parties.
01:49.45
Donna Bishop
I love that. And of course, you talk about your 16th, your sweet 16 in the book, which is such a beautiful story.
01:52.69
Jeanne Beker
Hmm.
01:55.28
Donna Bishop
And I so loved reading your book, Jeannie. And like I told you, I actually listened to it while i I also read it. So it was so lovely to hear your voice sharing these stories.
02:02.53
Jeanne Beker
Hmm. Hmm.
02:05.15
Donna Bishop
And I couldn't help but wonder, you know what was your process doing this? Did you have diaries that you could um refer to? Or did you just sort of like meditate in in your closet and look at the things you wanted to focus on? How did you begin the process of putting the the book together?
02:22.51
Jeanne Beker
Well, I've always ah held on to certain pieces and some of them I've held on to for a long, long, long time. Some of them, sadly, you know, my mom threw out over the years. My mom, blame it on my mom.
02:34.10
Jeanne Beker
um
02:34.84
Donna Bishop
i blame it on my mom too. Don't we all lose things we wish we'd hung on to.
02:36.13
Jeanne Beker
So I, you know, some of these things I don't have, but many of them, like I do still have. um And I knew that this would be a ah wonderful template for the book as well, because it would um help me edit the stories that I was going to tell.
02:49.34
Jeanne Beker
You know, if I didn't have a ah special accessory or, a piece of clothing to go along with the story I just wouldn't tell that story but I'll save it for another book because there were a lot of great stories that I wanted to tell but you know you could only ah tell ah so many so I thought doing it through the lens of wardrobe would be really great and and I knew what those pieces were like I know about those pieces that I've held on to I need I thought about those pieces that really meant something to me and um and the stories associated with them
03:18.24
Donna Bishop
They felt very deep, like these are things that you didn't just pull out kind of superfluously, but you've been really steeped in them, given the relationships with either friends or designers or or colleagues. They're moments that really had impact in your life.
03:34.04
Jeanne Beker
Well, one of the directives from ah the publishing house, Simon & Schuster, when you know they approached me to do a book, was, um that you know and I had written a couple of memoirs already.
03:45.73
Jeanne Beker
you live long enough, you write a lot of memoirs.
03:45.91
Donna Bishop
Yeah.
03:48.18
Jeanne Beker
But this time around, you know, um they were saying, you know, you we believe that you've got a lot of... um life lessons under your belt. You know, we believe there's a lot of wisdom there that you could share. So I really did try to impart some kind of, you know, life lesson with each and every story. Some, you know, are more blatant than others, I guess.
04:09.34
Jeanne Beker
But ah that was something that was important to me too, you know, not just tell the story for the sake of telling the story, although, it you know, conjured up some wonderful imagery, but that, you know, what did I glean out of that experience?
04:20.02
Jeanne Beker
um And that's something that I really wanted to share.
04:23.28
Donna Bishop
And is that something that you talk about with, you know, your girls and your friends and whatnot as well as kind of like how how clothing has been a lens for lessons and other other experiences that you've had or is that something that stays a little more close to your heart and isn't so much uh
04:41.09
Jeanne Beker
Well, the clothes aren't necessarily, you know, ah um a lens for that, but the clothes are touchstones. other They're springboards for these stories. I mean, it's the stories themselves, obviously, that teach you something, um you know, but i do I think it's just all part of my DNA now. You know, it's just the way I see the world. I mean, it's not all, you know, like,
05:03.19
Jeanne Beker
and and I hate it, you know, I don't want to bite the hand that feeds me or be, you know, like, I mean, at the end of the day, fashion smash, fashion smashing, know, like it's the clothes aren't, um and the garments and the pieces of my wardrobe aren't, you know, what drive me and what I find the most passion um in But again, these are the, ah as as ah one writer had written, you know, that the wordless,
05:34.95
Jeanne Beker
Oh, I'm sorry. I'm trying to think of the quote I had my book. Oh, yeah. ah ah of The wordless witnesses to our lives.
05:38.93
Donna Bishop
Yeah.
05:42.42
Jeanne Beker
I mean, these are these are things that accompany us on all our adventures.
05:43.49
Donna Bishop
yeah
05:47.47
Jeanne Beker
You know, they're actually there. They're experiencing um the situation along with us. They're having the experience along with us, although, you know, ah and often they can really empower us.
06:01.02
Jeanne Beker
um in in wonderful ways. I mean, that's what we all love about fashion. And sometimes they make us feel not so great about ourselves. Like, oh, why did I wear that? I was sending the wrong message. It didn't really make me feel like I should have been feeling.
06:15.73
Jeanne Beker
so um yeah, I mean, it Costume, i to me, that's what it's all about because I started my career, you know, as an actress, teenage actress, um and really always loved theatrics of the fashion world and still do. And that's probably what I appreciate the most about it and the characters. And, you know, and it's it's so much about what people are wearing because that's just telegraphing such...
06:46.37
Jeanne Beker
huge messages about who we are, not only to others, but to ourselves. We learn a lot when we sit back and think of what wardrobe cho choices that we made um at certain points in our lives.
07:00.51
Donna Bishop
Well, and it's that sense of connection. and And I didn't want to be hyperbolic and try and put like more on clothing than, you know, their kind of anchor and emblematicness of who we are in moments and what we're experiencing. But I was struck by, you know, there is, they do connect us to each other. They can connect us to you know, deeper parts of ourselves sometimes when we feel like we need that little bit of oomph or extra something, then often an article of clothing can provide that.
07:26.37
Jeanne Beker
You do.
07:29.36
Donna Bishop
And, you know, often it's it's ah it's a beautiful way to feel seen by the other people in our lives. And I was thinking about that with so many of your stories about Taller and Margaret and Gilles and people where you feel seen because maybe they push us to, you know, wear something we may not have otherwise.
07:46.06
Jeanne Beker
who
07:49.46
Jeanne Beker
who Yeah, mean, these are all very personal choices at the end of the day.
07:50.69
Donna Bishop
And I couldn't help.
07:55.16
Jeanne Beker
We have such an intimate relationship with our wardrobes, for sure. But I just you know thought this could be a great way to um you know re-examine some of the wardrobe choices that we've made over the years and you know why we had a particular experience, maybe because of that.
08:15.94
Jeanne Beker
particular garment or what it, you know, what it told us about ourselves, you know, at the time and what it might be telling us about ourselves even now in retrospect.
08:18.69
Donna Bishop
what
08:28.54
Donna Bishop
Did you learn new things about yourself as you were writing the book where you reflected and kind of went, huh, didn't kind of realize that's what was happening at the time, but that's pretty cool.
08:37.05
Jeanne Beker
Yeah, I don't know. Not so much. i i This is something that I've just always been so aware of, um you know, and I live in a lot of those moments. It's not like, oh, yeah, that was a story that I totally forgot about and I'm going to tell it now.
08:52.41
Jeanne Beker
mean, these are stories that live with me. They're part of the way I see the world, like each and every one of them, you know, especially... ah Some of the close encounters that I've had that have, you know, kind of rocked me or changed me.
09:04.39
Jeanne Beker
I mean, I think, you know, the story that I tell about Iggy Pop and how that felt like such an embarrassing kind of disastrous ah experience at the time.
09:08.88
Donna Bishop
Yeah.
09:15.07
Jeanne Beker
um And then the the fact that it was played on YouTube and then my producer put it on our show, The New Music, and I was like cringing because like, oh, my God, people were like, you know, saying, ah, yeah, Jeannie Becker, who does she think she is?
09:15.60
Donna Bishop
but
09:28.34
Jeanne Beker
You know, great to see Iggy Pop put her down. But the fact that I shut down that interview, you know, and was just and walked out of the room um now in retrospect, I think, yeah, wow.
09:37.45
Donna Bishop
yeah
09:39.23
Jeanne Beker
Like I look at at that video and I think, geez, you know, I was only how old I might have been, like my early, early 30s. And, you know, i I had the balls to ah to do that.
09:50.47
Jeanne Beker
You know, I'm really proud of myself, you know, and I thought I handled that quite well, you know, at the time, so cringeworthy.
09:54.84
Donna Bishop
I'd say so. so
09:57.66
Jeanne Beker
But, um you know, in retrospect, it's yeah, okay. You know, like, I'm, you know, the the fact that I wore that little bikini with the black pom-poms on, the bikini top, you know, dancing on stage at the Toronto Pop Festival, for you know, that impromptu ah dance that I did at the invitation of of Ronnie Hawkins, you know, that, what what does that tell, you know, I wanted, I wanted attention, you know, but I kind of knew that about myself.
10:12.22
Donna Bishop
Yeah.
10:21.29
Jeanne Beker
It's not like, oh, I must have really wanted attention.
10:24.35
Donna Bishop
Yeah, yeah.
10:24.49
Jeanne Beker
Yeah, I mean, that was something that I always knew for some reason. I felt like I wanted to to be seen. And hopefully, um you know, what that's resulted in is the fact that I've been able to touch people um over the years, you know,
10:42.12
Jeanne Beker
and And that's been something that has obviously been my greatest, greatest joy, knowing that I can connect with people or people relate to me or they connected with me, you know, and they've watched me through my own, ah you know, life journey. And um it's the most meaningful thing of all.
11:01.16
Jeanne Beker
But.
11:01.40
Donna Bishop
Well, the the new music and fashion television were such lifelines for so many of us into, you know, culture and worlds and imagination and creativity that, you know, it was our only...
11:06.04
Jeanne Beker
Hmm.
11:11.87
Jeanne Beker
Yeah, possibility really.
11:14.28
Donna Bishop
oh absolutely.
11:15.84
Jeanne Beker
Yeah.
11:15.95
Donna Bishop
It's like even so many of the people, you know, I talk to here when we talk about like key influences, like your name comes up a lot, Jeannie Becker, like that fashion television was just a gateway that had never been available to us before.
11:29.14
Jeanne Beker
Yeah, it was really the first ah window onto that world. ah a very, you know, a rarefied kind of a place that people, you know, couldn't get into that was inaccessible unless you had a backstage pass or the right invitation or knew the right people.
11:44.69
Jeanne Beker
And we managed to, you know, get in there. Sometimes i had to elbow my way in and push my way in. um And it was wonderful to take viewers by the hand every week, you know, for 27 years and ah and expose all that, blow away, ah you know, some of the smoke and mirrors, try and to demystify the scene because I was very much, you know, in that world, but I was not of that world.
12:09.35
Jeanne Beker
I was like everybody else. You know, i was just this girl that, you know, grew up in Downsview, Ontario, you know, child of immigrant parents and somehow... managed to dream this big dream and and i went for it and ah you know so many of my fantasies were realized ah because i worked my butt off and you know a lot of it had to do with timing and the time in the media of certainly because you know the media has changed so much it's become something else now it's you know social media is totally kind of not i mean i love social media too but you know it's just kind of um
12:45.29
Donna Bishop
It's different.
12:46.12
Jeanne Beker
watered down a lot of the power of the media, the way ah we used to know it and and consume it. So, ah yeah, it's it's been an incredible um ah journey and um ah and and so many different factors were at play. Like, you know, i yes, timing, timing, timing.
13:09.71
Jeanne Beker
um And just the connections that I made with people and ah my my energy was kind of right for the time as well, maybe.
13:19.60
Donna Bishop
there were There were two chapters that kind of resonated with me as age-old kind of questions or or thoughts around around clothing and style. And one was your ah chapter with Keith richards Richards, where he is just you know cool personified.
13:34.67
Jeanne Beker
but
13:35.40
Donna Bishop
And it got me thinking about what comes first, the confidence to wear a certain thing, or when we put it on does it imbue us with that confidence that allows us to project that?
13:45.79
Jeanne Beker
Well, I think it depends. mean, you know, a little bit of both. It it just depends on how inspired we are to don a certain something or how much we really, you know, want to change or be transformed.
14:01.88
Jeanne Beker
And sometimes it does take a little bit of nerve to step out of our comfort zone and try something that we may not have tried before, try something bold that, you know, it's, know, might get a mixed reaction.
14:13.57
Donna Bishop
Thank you.
14:13.97
Jeanne Beker
um But on the other hand, sometimes it just feels like the most natural thing to do. And, you know, you're just, you're just ready for it. It's just a moment in time that you just, uh, embrace and go for it. And, you know, there's sometimes the consequences are you a little questionable. um you But, you know, you're as long as, you know, we're always being true to ourselves, I think that's the most we can really, you know, ask of ourselves, like, you know, just to be authentic and to, you And sometimes, yeah, we we get locked into these images of ourselves.
14:48.23
Jeanne Beker
um And we are reluctant to change. And, you know, and and we choose uniforms for ourselves sometimes. And, you know, we we wear a hair a certain way, because that's just the way we've always seen ourselves. And we're afraid to, you know.
15:01.64
Jeanne Beker
um But, yeah, I mean, it it it you just never know when you you know get the inspiration for ah change. And very often it's it's great.
15:12.02
Jeanne Beker
I mean, I don't see a lot of people going back to the way they were. Usually once they step out and they commit, um it's really got some wonderful transformative ah powers, that you the things that fashion does for us.
15:28.70
Donna Bishop
Yeah, I think it's such an an accessible way for us all to experience with having a little bit of guts, even if it's as simple as I always wear black and white and today I'm going to wear yellow or...
FashionTalks is back for season 5! Join host Donna Bishop as she chats with industry leaders and hot emerging talent about key insights they have learned, how they are got to where they are in life and career, and their love affair with clothes
Presented with the CAFA Changemaker Award in 2023, Amber-Dawn Bear Robe is a curator, art historian and Fashion Show Program Director for the Southwestern Association for Indian Arts. Born in Alberta, Canada, and a member of the Siksika Nation, Bear Robe has spent her career working and lecturing in Native art institutions. Through her work and advocacy, she has played a pivotal role in the representation of Indigenous designers on a national platform. She has demonstrated profound dedication to empowering Indigenous talent, art, and design history and has set the stage for a more inclusive and culturally rich fashion landscape.
Vanja Vasic founded Fashion Art Toronto (intentionally called FAT) in 2005 making it the longest running fashion event in Toronto (Canada's largest city).
In this episode Vanja and Donna discuss:
- Vanja's history and how her artistic, rebellious parents helped shape her creative spirit
- the tie between fashion and art
- the "naughty" origins of Fashion Art Toronto
- key milestones throughout the past 18 years
- the importance of the runway show and why it is still the anchor of Fashion Art Toronto
- the surprising impact of Covid/ lockdowns and how it positively impacted the event
The next FAT is Nov 16 - 19, 2023 in Toronto, ON.
To learn more about Fashion Art Toronto - http://fashionarttoronto.ca/
On IG - https://www.instagram.com/fashionarttoronto/
Founder Vanja Vasic - https://www.instagram.com/_vanjavasic_/
Host Donna Bishop - https://thisisdonnab.ca/
IG - https://www.instagram.com/thisisdonnab/
Follow the podcast
IG - https://www.instagram.com/fashiontalkspod/
To learn more about CAFA - the Canadian Arts and Fashion Awards https://www.cafawards.ca/
IG - https://www.instagram.com/cafawards/
This episode was produced by Jason Perrier
IG - https://www.instagram.com/ajasonperrier/
Thank you to Nick Craine for the amazing artwork - https://www.nickcraine.com/
John Fluevog has been designing shoes since the 1970s. His unmistakeable footwear has graced not just runway shows around the world, but have been worn by countless celebrities including Madonna, Beyoncé and Lady Gaga.
George Clinton, known as Parliament known as Funkadelic, came to prominence in the 60s, revolutionized R&B music in the 70s and continues to make music with a host of artists including Dr Dre, Snoop Dogg, LL Cook J and Drake (one of his latest).
Dame Zandra Rhodes has been a fashion designer for over 50 years and is the founder of the British Fashion and Textile Museum. She has dressed countless celebrities from Natalie Wood to Diana Ross to Freddy Mercury to Princess Diana.
Clinton and Rhodes were in Toronto to launch their latest Fluevog collaborations. Donna Bishop sat down with them in the flagship Fluevog store in Toronto to chat about:
- collaboration
- creative inspiration
- the importance of feelings
- and of course, shoes
To learn more about John Fluevog - https://www.fluevog.com/
To learn more about George Clinton - https://georgeclinton.com/
To learn more about Dame Zandra Rhodes - https://zandrarhodes.com/
Host Donna Bishop - https://thisisdonnab.ca/
IG - https://www.instagram.com/thisisdonnab/
Follow the podcast
IG - https://www.instagram.com/fashiontalkspod/
To learn more about CAFA - the Canadian Arts and Fashion Awards https://www.cafawards.ca/
IG - https://www.instagram.com/cafawards/
This episode was produced by Jason Perrier
IG - https://www.instagram.com/ajasonperrier/
Thank you to Nick Craine for the amazing artwork - https://www.nickcraine.com/
David Cash, founder of Cash Labs, has been identified by Vogue Magazine as the leading force in bringing web3 to market. David, the 2023 CAFA Innovation Award winner, is the founder of Metaverse Fashion Week and has worked with dozens of global brands from Farfetch to Estée Lauder to Verizon to the NBA.
In this episode David and host Donna Bishop discuss:
- David's journey to founding Cash Labs
- The origins of Metaverse Fashion Week (and what is that experience?)
- Breaking down Web3, AI, VR, Blockchain and other technologies
- How these technologies impact and are essential for anyone in fashion to be aware of and pay attention to
- Explaining how prevalent so much of this technology is already
- Why the gaming world is relevant right now and in the future
- Understanding the scope of the digital realm and why it matters in a broad sense (you may be surprised)
- Amazing advice for anyone working in fashion
To learn more about Cash Labs - https://www.cashlabs.io/
IG - https://www.instagram.com/cashlabs.io
David Cash - https://www.instagram.com/davidcash888/
Host Donna Bishop - https://thisisdonnab.ca/
IG - https://www.instagram.com/thisisdonnab/
Follow the podcast
IG - https://www.instagram.com/fashiontalkspod/
To learn more about CAFA - the Canadian Arts and Fashion Awards https://www.cafawards.ca/
IG - https://www.instagram.com/cafawards/
This episode was produced by Jason Perrier
IG - https://www.instagram.com/ajasonperrier/
Thank you to Nick Craine for the amazing artwork - https://www.nickcraine.com/
As the founder and CEO of Talk Boutique, Andrea Sampson has been training individuals in delivering engaging talks, compelling stories, dynamic presentations and building active communities based on developing thought leadership.
Listen to Andrea and Donna Bishop discuss:
- The dual value of being a thought leader
- Why fashion is ripe for new thought leaders
- How to start being a thought leader
- Thought leader vs expert vs trail blazer vs influencer vs change maker
- Why an emotional connection is essential to being a thought leader
- What is the unique mindset of a thought leader and how to cultivate it
- How thought leadership supports business goals - including sales
To learn more about Andrea Sampson - https://talkboutique.com/
Host Donna Bishop - https://thisisdonnab.ca/
IG - https://www.instagram.com/thisisdonnab/
Follow the podcast
IG - https://www.instagram.com/fashiontalkspod/
To learn more about CAFA - the Canadian Arts and Fashion Awards https://www.cafawards.ca/
IG - https://www.instagram.com/cafawards/
This episode was produced by Jason Perrier
IG - https://www.instagram.com/ajasonperrier/
Thank you to Nick Craine for the amazing artwork - https://www.nickcraine.com/
Qasim Mohammad is an investor who currently works out of Wittington Venture. His expertise is deeply rooted in consumer brands.
In this episode Qasim and Donna discuss:
- Outside investing 101 - what is venture capital and other financing options
- What are the goals of the VC/ investor
- How to build you network for potential investing
- What makes a great pitch
- Advice for crafting a pitch and where to look for pitch decks
- Scaling for capital
- How to present your opportunity and examples of companies that are doing it well
- Breaking down what the market is and how it impacts financing
- Expectations for founders/ entrepreneurs on the fundraising process - during and upon success of financing
- What is on trend in the market currently
The video Qasim mentions in the episode - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXYxCBBPegg
To learn more about Qasim, his thoughts on the marketing and investing, and to connect - https://qasimmohammad.com/
Host Donna Bishop - https://thisisdonnab.ca/
IG - https://www.instagram.com/thisisdonnab/
Follow the podcast
IG - https://www.instagram.com/fashiontalkspod/
To learn more about CAFA - the Canadian Arts and Fashion Awards https://www.cafawards.ca/
IG - https://www.instagram.com/cafawards/
This episode was produced by Jason Perrier
IG - https://www.instagram.com/ajasonperrier/
Thank you to Nick Craine for the amazing artwork - https://www.nickcraine.com/
Branding/ fashion lawyer and trademark agent Ashlee Froese breaks down so many myths around the relationship and importance between entrepreneurship (and not just fashion designers), legals, trademarks, IP and more.
In this episode you will hear Ashlee Froese and Donna Bishop discuss:
- What it means to be a fashion lawyer and the eco system of the industry
- When it is beneficial to engage a lawyer (likely sooner than you think)
- Why freelancers benefit from working with a lawyer (its not just for big businesses)
- The critical business tools that fall under legal protection
- The big misstep shoe empire Manolo Blahnik made and how you can avoid it
- Demystifying IP: copy write, trade secrets, trademarks and more
- What to know about contracts from employees to suppliers to independent contractors
- How to choose a lawyer to work with
- Success stories
- How to avoid brand trolls
Articles mentioned in this episode:
- https://www.froeselaw.com/post/crocs-case-confirms-industrial-design-as-tool-in-fashion-law
- https://www.froeselaw.com/post/structuring-your-independent-contractor-agreements
To connect with Ashlee Froese - https://www.froeselaw.com/contact
Host Donna Bishop - https://thisisdonnab.ca/
IG - https://www.instagram.com/thisisdonnab/
Follow the podcast
IG - https://www.instagram.com/fashiontalkspod/
To learn more about CAFA - the Canadian Arts and Fashion Awards https://www.cafawards.ca/
IG - https://www.instagram.com/cafawards/
This episode was produced by Jason Perrier
IG - https://www.instagram.com/ajasonperrier/
Thank you to Nick Craine for the amazing artwork - https://www.nickcraine.com/
More about Ashlee:
Ashlee Froese is a branding & fashion lawyer and trademark agent. She has been practicing law since 2007. She is recognized by the Law Society of Ontario as a Certified Specialist in Trademarks Law; 1 of 6 female lawyers to carry that designation. Since 2017, Ashlee is consistently listed in the World Trademark Review as one of the top 1000 trademark lawyers in the world. In 2019, Ashlee was one of 39 lawyers across Canada to be granted the Lexpert Zenith Award, which recognizes her as a change maker in law. In 2021, Ashlee was granted the World Intellectual Property Review’s Diversity award as an Influential Woman in IP, one of only 69 lawyers worldwide. In 2022, Ashlee was an awardee with the Canadian Law Awards in the Female Trailblazer of the Year category. Prior to launching Froese Law, Ashlee was a partner on Bay Street. She fast tracked to partnership within 6 years.
Ashlee's scope of practice includes trademarks, copyright, contract, licensing, domain name, social media, marketing/advertising, packaging/labeling and start up corporate laws.
Ashlee holds numerous leadership and mentorship positions including, executive committee member (Ontario Bar Association), brand strategy council member (Canadian Marketing Association), advisor (Ryerson Fashion Zone), committee member (Intellectual Property Institute of Canada), committee member (International Trademarks Association), past co-chair (Fashion Group International), and past-chair (Toronto Intellectual Property Group), chair (City of Toronto's Fashion Industry Advisory Panel).
Lara Koretsky is a leadership and business coach pulls back the curtain how she supports her clients to achieve professional success and satisfaction, as well as personal expansion and growth.
In this episode Lara talks with host Donna Bishop about:
- the essential connection between aligning personal values and professional goals
- ditching your "Itty Bitty Shitty Committee"
- identifying burnout vs stress
- boundaries, boundaries - what they are and how to keep them
- reality check about "time off"
- the one minute tool that can make a huge impact
- how leaders can support their team members
- communication tools you can implement right now to build stronger teams
- the neuroscience of moving through fear and negative emotions
- stories of success
- the power of a To Be list
To learn more about Lara Korestsky and her coaching work - https://www.larakoretsky.com/
Connect with Lara - https://www.larakoretsky.com/contact
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/larakoretsky/
Host Donna Bishop - https://thisisdonnab.ca/
IG - https://www.instagram.com/thisisdonnab/
Follow the podcast
IG - https://www.instagram.com/fashiontalkspod/
To learn more about CAFA - the Canadian Arts and Fashion Awards https://www.cafawards.ca/
IG - https://www.instagram.com/cafawards/
This episode was produced by Jason Perrier
IG - https://www.instagram.com/ajasonperrier/
Thank you to Nick Craine for the amazing artwork - https://www.nickcraine.com/
Grant financing can be the perfect cash injection to take a business to the next level. In this episode grant consultant Weiyi Chang unpacks the process, shares expectations and offers advice on how to determine if grant financing is right for your business and setting you up for success.
Weiyi Chang and host Donna Bishop discuss:
- Debunking fashion and access to grant funding
- Grant financing 101 - what it is, what is it for and what to expect
- Where to find grants
- The importance of key word strategies when researching grants
- Role of the granting officer and how to leverage it
- Tips for applying for grant financing
- What to expect when you are successful in being awarded grant financing
From this episode:
Databases mentioned:
- https://grantconnect.ca/login
- https://ontario.grantwatch.com/grants-for.php
- https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/services/funding.html
Article on Government Grant Financing - https://www.froeselaw.com/post/diversify-your-business-financing-with-government-grants
Guest Weiyi Chang - email weiyi@froeselaw.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/weiyi-c-55600a193/
Host Donna Bishop - https://thisisdonnab.ca/
IG - https://www.instagram.com/thisisdonnab/
Follow the podcast
IG - https://www.instagram.com/fashiontalkspod/
To learn more about CAFA - the Canadian Arts and Fashion Awards https://www.cafawards.ca/
IG - https://www.instagram.com/cafawards/
This episode was produced by Jason Perrier
IG - https://www.instagram.com/ajasonperrier/
Thank you to Nick Craine for the amazing artwork - https://www.nickcraine.com/
The Oscar nominated Costume Designer Luis Sequeira got his start in fashion. In this final BEST OF episode Luis and assistant Costume Designer Ann Steel joined Donna Bishop for a live recording of FashionTalks during Toronto Fashion Week.
In this episode you will hear Luis and Ann talk about:
- Their fashion background
- The process of working with Academy Award Winning Director Guillermo del Toro on his Oscar winning Best Picture film The Shape of Water
- Insider details about The Shape of Water and stories of working on the film and designing the costumes
To learn more about Luis Sequeira - https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0784751/
IG - https://www.instagram.com/luis_sequeira_costumes/?hl=en
Host Donna Bishop - https://thisisdonnab.ca/
IG - https://www.instagram.com/thisisdonnab/
Follow the podcast
IG - https://www.instagram.com/fashiontalkspod/
To learn more about CAFA - the Canadian Arts and Fashion Awards https://www.cafawards.ca/
IG - https://www.instagram.com/cafawards/
This episode was produced by Jason Perrier
IG - https://www.instagram.com/ajasonperrier/
Thank you to Nick Craine for the amazing artwork - https://www.nickcraine.com/
Mentioned in this episode:
FashionTalks for Industry Midroll
Evan Biddell has been designing clothes since his teens. Before he became a viral sensation with The Playsuit, he talked with Donna Bishop in an early FashionTalks episode.
In this episode you will hear Evan talk candidly about:
- His upbringing in the Canadian Prairies
- Being on, and winning, the first Project Runway Canada
- His commitment to sustainability, the 81 Pound Challenge and this collection being on display in the Vancouver Museum
- His long relationship with super model Stacey McKenzie
- His thoughts on style, why fashion kids love Norm Core, how he works with clients and more, including what he has in common with Alexander McQueen
To learn more about Evan Biddell - https://biddell.shop/
IG - https://www.instagram.com/biddell/
Host Donna Bishop - https://thisisdonnab.ca/
IG - https://www.instagram.com/thisisdonnab/
Follow the podcast
IG - https://www.instagram.com/fashiontalkspod/
To learn more about CAFA - the Canadian Arts and Fashion Awards https://www.cafawards.ca/
IG - https://www.instagram.com/cafawards/
This episode was produced by Jason Perrier
IG - https://www.instagram.com/ajasonperrier/
Thank you to Nick Craine for the amazing artwork - https://www.nickcraine.com/
Mentioned in this episode:
FashionTalks for Industry Midroll
Mina Gerges is known for his fearless self expression, ground breaking modelling gigs and plus size and LGTBQ2S+ advocacy.
In this episode you will hear Mina share:
- His Egyptian heritage and how it has shaped him
- How he started creating the videos he became known for
- His journey to discovering his authentic self
- What is means to him to be a plus sized, male model
- The massive ad campaign that changed his life
Learn more about Mina Gerges - https://www.itsminagerges.com/
IG - https://www.instagram.com/minagerges/
Host Donna Bishop - https://thisisdonnab.ca/
IG - https://www.instagram.com/thisisdonnab/
Follow the podcast
IG - https://www.instagram.com/fashiontalkspod/
To learn more about CAFA - the Canadian Arts and Fashion Awards https://www.cafawards.ca/
IG - https://www.instagram.com/cafawards/
This episode was produced by Jason Perrier
IG - https://www.instagram.com/ajasonperrier/
Thank you to Nick Craine for the amazing artwork - https://www.nickcraine.com/
Making your side hustle your full time gig is one of the most common goals any entrepreneur has. Catherine Addai knows what it means to HUSTLE!
In this episode you will hear:
- Catherine talk about what her days looked like working her side hustle, her full time job and living her life
- What supports and lessons she learned as a side hustle designer that have been instrumental in her success
- How she honours and incorporates her Ghanaian roots into her designs
- How she got her "big break"
- The walls she hit as a Black designer then moving through and around them
- Her thoughts on the power of colour
To learn more about Catherine and her brand Kaela Kay - https://kaelakay.com/
IG - https://www.instagram.com/kaelakayonline/
IG - https://www.instagram.com/thecatherineaddai/
Host Donna Bishop - https://thisisdonnab.ca/
IG - https://www.instagram.com/thisisdonnab/
Follow the podcast
IG - https://www.instagram.com/fashiontalkspod/
To learn more about CAFA - the Canadian Arts and Fashion Awards https://www.cafawards.ca/
IG - https://www.instagram.com/cafawards/
This episode was produced by Jason Perrier
IG - https://www.instagram.com/ajasonperrier/
Thank you to Nick Craine for the amazing artwork - https://www.nickcraine.com/
Mentioned in this episode:
FashionTalks for Industry Midroll
Jeanne Beker is a fashion icon and Canadian treasure. As the host of the ground breaking FashionTelevision Jeanne brought new fans to fashion, opened a portal to the otherwise unseen magic of runways shows and witnessed the entire fashion industry respond to new media.
In this episode you will hear Jeanne share stories about:
- how she became the host of FashionTelevision
- meeting designers Marc Jacobs, Alexander McQueen and many more
- the moment she literally handed her mic over to someone else
- the lasting impact of FashionTelevision on her life and career
To learn more about Jeanne Beker - http://www.jeannebeker.com/
IG - https://www.instagram.com/thejeannebeker/
Host Donna Bishop - https://thisisdonnab.ca/
IG - https://www.instagram.com/thisisdonnab/
Follow the podcast
IG - https://www.instagram.com/fashiontalkspod/
To learn more about CAFA - the Canadian Arts and Fashion Awards https://www.cafawards.ca/
IG - https://www.instagram.com/cafawards/
This episode was produced by Jason Perrier
IG - https://www.instagram.com/ajasonperrier/
Thank you to Nick Craine for the amazing artwork - https://www.nickcraine.com/
Mentioned in this episode:
FashionTalks for Industry Midroll
FashionTalks for Industry Midroll
That's a wrap on season 4! But don't worry - FashionTalks isn't going anywhere.
We will return in September with a special series, FashionTalks for Industry. Host Donna Bishop will interview experts in legals, grant writing, thought leadership, financing, marketing, managing burnout and more. A host of topics to support you and your business whether you are a designer, entrepreneur, creative director, freelancer - any. career that touches fashion.
Until then, enjoy some favourite episodes from the vault throughout the month of August.
Host Donna Bishop - https://thisisdonnab.ca/
IG - https://www.instagram.com/thisisdonnab/
Follow the podcast
IG - https://www.instagram.com/fashiontalkspod/
To learn more about CAFA - the Canadian Arts and Fashion Awards https://www.cafawards.ca/
IG - https://www.instagram.com/cafawards/
This episode was produced by Jason Perrier
IG - https://www.instagram.com/ajasonperrier/
Thank you to Nick Craine for the amazing artwork - https://www.nickcraine.com/
Izzy Camilleri is a big deal. As one of Canada's most celebrated fashion designers she has dressed A list celebrities from David Bowie to Meryl Streep. In 2005 her world and career changed when a woman living with paralysis asked Izzy to design some custom clothing that would work with her power wheelchair. This entry into adaptive clothing pivoted her career in a profound way.
In this episode:
- Izzy shares her meeting and designing for David Bowie
- Her career shift to a focus on adaptive clothing, the fashion industry's reaction (spoiler, it wasn't great) and how she stayed the course of her vision
- Insight into the size, perspective and future of adaptive fashion
- Her proprietary innovation and how it is revolutionizing the adaptive fashion market and beyond
To watch Izzy's Ted Talks - https://www.izzycamilleri.com/galleries/ted-talk/
To learn more about Izzy and IZ Adaptive - https://www.izzycamilleri.com/
IG - https://www.instagram.com/izzy.camilleri/
Host Donna Bishop - https://thisisdonnab.ca/
IG - https://www.instagram.com/thisisdonnab/
Follow the podcast
IG - https://www.instagram.com/fashiontalkspod/
To learn more about CAFA - the Canadian Arts and Fashion Awards https://www.cafawards.ca/
IG - https://www.instagram.com/cafawards/
This episode was produced by Jason Perrier
IG - https://www.instagram.com/ajasonperrier/
Thank you to Nick Craine for the amazing artwork - https://www.nickcraine.com/
Fashion intersects with some surprising places! Case in point, tarot reader Lori Simeunovic has a ton of experience harnessing and acknowledging the power of adornment as it pertains to empowerment, manifestation and more.
In this episode Lori and Donna discuss:
- The photoshoot that had a profound impact on Lori's life and career
- How fashion plays into manifestation and showing the universe what you are ready for
- How Lori uses fashion in her business
- The events that lead to Lori's multiple book deal
- How she cultivated her signature style and why it matters
- The power of rituals, and how they relate to fashion
The jeweller who made the necklace Lori mentioned - https://katekingjewellery.com/
IG - https://www.instagram.com/katekingjewellery/?igshid=Y2IzZGU1MTFhOQ%3D%3D
Wendy Alana, photographer Lori did the boudoir photoshoot with - https://wendyalanaphotography.com/portfolio-item/boudoir/
IG - https://www.instagram.com/wendyalanaphoto/?igshid=Y2IzZGU1MTFhOQ%3D%3D
To learn more about Lori - https://www.tarotlori.com/
IG - https://www.instagram.com/tarot.lori/
Host Donna Bishop - https://thisisdonnab.ca/
IG - https://www.instagram.com/thisisdonnab/
Follow the podcast
IG - https://www.instagram.com/fashiontalkspod/
To learn more about CAFA - the Canadian Arts and Fashion Awards https://www.cafawards.ca/
IG - https://www.instagram.com/cafawards/
This episode was produced by Jason Perrier
IG - https://www.instagram.com/ajasonperrier/
Thank you to Nick Craine for the amazing artwork - https://www.nickcraine.com/
Lisa Corbo has been around the fashion block. She has been a textile designer, fashion designer, interior designer, buyer, retail entrepreneur, stylist and most recently has added digital creator to her incredible career. Lisa has so much to share and a ton of amazing stories, experiences and insights.
In this episode Lisa talks about:
- Her vast and varied career
- What authenticity means to her
- Her thoughts on aging
- Her thoughts on the power of aesthetics
- How she is more than fashion
To learn more and follow Lisa Corbo on IG - https://www.instagram.com/lisacorbo/
Host Donna Bishop - https://thisisdonnab.ca/
IG - https://www.instagram.com/thisisdonnab/
Follow the podcast
IG - https://www.instagram.com/fashiontalkspod/
To learn more about CAFA - the Canadian Arts and Fashion Awards https://www.cafawards.ca/
IG - https://www.instagram.com/cafawards/
This episode was produced by Jason Perrier
IG - https://www.instagram.com/ajasonperrier/
Thank you to Nick Craine for the amazing artwork - https://www.nickcraine.com/
Sage Paul is a designer, artist, creator and the executive & artistic director of Indigenous Fashion Arts, an organization committed to exploring the deep connections between mainstream fashion, Indigenous art and traditional practice through presentation for broad audiences and industries.
In this episode you will hear Sage and Donna talk about:
- Sage's experience taking a delegation of Indigenous designers to Milan, why being on the European fashion calendar is important and how this mission came to be
- An insider look at White Milano
- How luxury fashion is being reinvented
- Why she is tired of Indigenous designers having to make white people feel better about wearing their work
- The connection between having basic needs met and cultural appropriation
- What narratives she has included in her personal work
To learn more about Sage Paul - http://sagepaul.com/
IG - https://www.instagram.com/sagepaul/
To learn more about Indigenous Fashion Arts - https://indigenousfashionarts.com/
IG - https://www.instagram.com/indigenousfashionarts/
Host Donna Bishop - https://thisisdonnab.ca/
IG - https://www.instagram.com/thisisdonnab/
Follow the podcast
IG - https://www.instagram.com/fashiontalkspod/
To learn more about CAFA - the Canadian Arts and Fashion Awards https://www.cafawards.ca/
IG - https://www.instagram.com/cafawards/
This episode was produced by Jason Perrier
IG - https://www.instagram.com/ajasonperrier/
Thank you to Nick Craine for the amazing artwork - https://www.nickcraine.com/
George Sully has been designing for over 20 years. Yet despite that history he, and other designers, have been designing in the dark for years. George is candid, clear and passionate while sharing his story and the future of designing.
In this episode you will hear:
- George discuss how he was shut out of the fashion industry and what the impact of designing in the dark has been on him and other black designers
- The breadth and depth of his experience - "I have always been premium..."
- The importance of a data base of black designers
- The weight and mental health toll of his many identities
- The importance of family
- How he has manifested his life - personally and professionally
- His advice to other designers
ABOUT GEORGE SULLY: Multidisciplinary designer, entrepreneur and activist are all different ways one can begin to describe George Sully. Based in Toronto, with an impressive worldwide network, Sully has established a collective of multifaceted companies that leverage him as an innovative player in the world of multimedia content creation and fashion design.
Celebrated CAFA Change-maker Award winner, George Brown honorary degree recipient and FGI Visionary Award Winner, Sully is also known for his collaborations that include but not limited to, DHL, EBAY, Disney, Hudson’s Bay, and Mercedes Benz. Sully is also a Bata Shoe Museum inductee, creator of Black designers of Canada, co-founder of House of Hayla and creator of break-out brand Sully & Son Company.
To learn more about George Sully - https://georgesully.com/
IG - https://www.instagram.com/realgeorgesully/
To learn more about Black Designers of Canada - https://blackdesignersofcanada.com/
To learn more about CAFA - the Canadian Arts and Fashion Awards https://www.cafawards.ca/
IG - https://www.instagram.com/cafawards/
This episode was produced by Jason Perrier
IG - https://www.instagram.com/ajasonperrier/
Host Donna Bishop - https://thisisdonnab.ca/
IG - https://www.instagram.com/thisisdonnab/
Follow the podcast
IG - https://www.instagram.com/fashiontalkspod/
Thank you to Nick Craine for the amazing artwork - https://www.nickcraine.com/
Nina Kharey rose to acclaim when Meghan Markle wore a design from her label Nonie. Now she is dedicated to designing for an industry that has seen little to no innovation in over 50 years: Scrubs.
In this episode you will hear:
- Nina sharing what drew her to putting her attention on front line medical workers
- The incredible, innovative, unique technology that she uses for a completely new fabric
- How she makes her business circular, sustainable and out of landfill
- Where her love of fashion design hits in this new sector
- What keeps her inspired, energized and focused
Here is the episode with Dr Liza Egboyah referenced in our conversation - https://open.spotify.com/episode/45tkps2FmhBgS7reW4uWft
To lean more about Folds - https://foldswear.com/
IG - https://www.instagram.com/foldswear/
To learn more about Nina - https://www.noniewear.com/pages/about
IG - https://www.instagram.com/ninakharey/
To learn more about CAFA - the Canadian Arts and Fashion Awards https://www.cafawards.ca/
IG - https://www.instagram.com/cafawards/
This episode was produced by Jason Perrier
IG - https://www.instagram.com/ajasonperrier/
Host Donna Bishop - https://thisisdonnab.ca/
IG - https://www.instagram.com/thisisdonnab/
Follow the podcast
IG - https://www.instagram.com/fashiontalkspod/
Thank you to Nick Craine for the amazing artwork - https://www.nickcraine.com/
Hilary MacMillan has been at the helm of her namesake label for 10 years! She is no stranger to all the facets of entrepreneurship.
We talk about all the things the weigh on the mind of business owners:
- Leadership
- Pivoting
- Scaling
- Sustainability
- Trusting you gut
And she shares what she really wants Canadians to know about our fashion industry (her thoughts may surprise you...)
To learn more about Hilary MacMillan - https://www.hilarymacmillan.com/
IG - https://www.instagram.com/hilarymacmillan/
To learn more about CAFA - the Canadian Arts and Fashion Awards https://www.cafawards.ca/
IG - https://www.instagram.com/cafawards/
This episode was produced by Jason Perrier
IG - https://www.instagram.com/ajasonperrier/
Host Donna Bishop - https://thisisdonnab.ca/
IG - https://www.instagram.com/thisisdonnab/
Follow the podcast
IG - https://www.instagram.com/fashiontalkspod/
Thank you to Nick Craine for the amazing artwork - https://www.nickcraine.com/
Jamie Alexander got thrown into the fashion industry when his daughter Ruby wanted to wear a bikini like her friends. Something that was fun and girlie with tween/ teen vibes. Ruby, who is trans, wanted something that made her feel like herself. When Jamie and his wife looked for options for their daughter, there was nothing that fit what they, and Ruby, were looking for. So Jamie embarked on making it for her.
In this episode you will hear:
- The unique design journey of Ruby's bikini bottoms
- How Jamie used social media to problem solve design, launch the products and build community
- The feedback Jamie gets from families about the profound impact of his products and company
If you or someone you know is looking for information, education and support here are some resources:
- Kids Help Phone - https://kidshelpphone.ca/tag-cloud/?tags=2slgbtq
- The Trevor Project - https://www.thetrevorproject.org/
- The Trans Student Educational Resources/ Gender Unicorn - https://transstudent.org/gender/
To learn more about Rubies - https://rubyshines.com/
Follow on IG - https://www.instagram.com/rubiesdad/
To learn more about CAFA - the Canadian Arts and Fashion Awards https://www.cafawards.ca/
IG - https://www.instagram.com/cafawards/
This episode was produced by Jason Perrier
IG - https://www.instagram.com/ajasonperrier/
Host Donna Bishop - https://thisisdonnab.ca/
IG - https://www.instagram.com/thisisdonnab/
Follow the podcast
IG - https://www.instagram.com/fashiontalkspod/
Thank you to Nick Craine for the amazing artwork - https://www.nickcraine.com/
Jenn Harper, founder and CEO of Cheekbone Beauty, is making a serious impact.
Not just because her sustainable beauty brand is now available in Sephora (Canada) and JC Penny (USA).
Not just because she is creating an example for other Indigenous people of what is possible; to see and feel their value.
Not just because of how she has overcome generational trauma and created her own journey to sobriety.
But because she is all of these at once.
In this episode Jenn and Donna discuss:
- The dream that inspired Cheekbone Beauty
- The impact of learning about her heritage and grandmother's experience in residential school
- How she brings her Indigenous roots into her leadership
- How she keeps grounded and focused as an entrepreneur
To learn more and shop Cheekbone Beauty - https://www.cheekbonebeauty.com/
IG - https://www.instagram.com/cheekbonebeauty/
Follow Jenn Harper - https://www.instagram.com/jennlharper/
To learn more about CAFA - the Canadian Arts and Fashion Awards https://www.cafawards.ca/
IG - https://www.instagram.com/cafawards/
This episode was produced by Jason Perrier
IG - https://www.instagram.com/ajasonperrier/
Host Donna Bishop - https://thisisdonnab.ca/
IG - https://www.instagram.com/thisisdonnab/
Follow the podcast
IG - https://www.instagram.com/fashiontalkspod/
Thank you to Nick Craine for the amazing artwork - https://www.nickcraine.com/
If you love and hate your heels you are not alone (and you are not imagining it). Dr Liza Egbogah is not just acclaimed shoe designer, she is also a Chiropractic Doctor and manual osteopath.
Dr Liza discusses with Donna Bishop:
- What happens to our body when our feet are comprised (it may surprise you!)
- Her unexpected road to fashion designer
- How her practice as a chiropractor influenced her journey
- Why changing the foot industry is no mean feat
- Can we be our best selves if we are in discomfort?
To learn more and shop dr liza shoes - https://www.drlizashoes.com/
IG - https://www.instagram.com/drlizashoes/
Follow Dr Liza - https://www.instagram.com/drliza/
To learn more about CAFA - the Canadian Arts and Fashion Awards https://www.cafawards.ca/
IG - https://www.instagram.com/cafawards/
This episode was produced by Jason Perrier
IG - https://www.instagram.com/ajasonperrier/
Host Donna Bishop - https://thisisdonnab.ca/
IG - https://www.instagram.com/thisisdonnab/
Follow the podcast
IG - https://www.instagram.com/fashiontalkspod/
Thank you to Nick Craine for the amazing artwork - https://www.nickcraine.com/
Do you ever feel like you have 2 passions, or even 2 conflicting desires, inside you? Seda Rafilovich does and she has maintained both of them, medicine and fashion, throughout her entire life. She is full of life advice and inspiration on how to live a fulfilled life.
In this episode we talk about:
- How she has always honoured her love and pursuit of fashion and medical careers
- Her experience of working as a fashion designer in Russia in the 1990s
- How Covid was time of growth, personally and professionally
- The inspiration she draws from working with women
- The importance of local buying and producing
- Why she has a love affair with outerwear
- The reason she turns her philanthropic energy to the geriatric medicine, one of the most underserved areas of medicine
To learn more and discover Seda - https://sedaworld.com/
To learn more about her philanthropic initiative for geriatric medicine - https://sedaworld.com/pages/seda-x-shn-foundation
Follow Seda - https://www.instagram.com/sedaworldfashion/
To learn more about CAFA - the Canadian Arts and Fashion Awards https://www.cafawards.ca/
IG - https://www.instagram.com/cafawards/
This episode was produced by Jason Perrier
IG - https://www.instagram.com/ajasonperrier/
Host Donna Bishop - https://thisisdonnab.ca/
IG - https://www.instagram.com/thisisdonnab/
Follow the podcast
IG - https://www.instagram.com/fashiontalkspod/
Thank you to Nick Craine for the amazing artwork - https://www.nickcraine.com/
It all started with a cyborg named Neil.
You can not deny that fashion and technology are forever intertwined. Electric Runway founder, journalist Amanda Costco unpacks the good, the bad and the grey in between discussing this relationship. Where are we in the hype cycle? What is going to stick and what is just passing amusement? What are the global priorities as it pertains to fashion and tech? Manufacturing, the metaverse, filters, robots, avatars - where are we?
Amanda and Electric Runway - https://electricrunway.com/
IG - https://www.instagram.com/electric_runway/
TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@electric_runway?
To learn more about CAFA - the Canadian Arts and Fashion Awards https://www.cafawards.ca/
IG - https://www.instagram.com/cafawards/
This episode was produced by Jason Perrier
IG - https://www.instagram.com/ajasonperrier/
Host Donna Bishop - https://thisisdonnab.ca/
IG - https://www.instagram.com/thisisdonnab/
Follow the podcast
IG - https://www.instagram.com/fashiontalkspod/
Thank you to Nick Craine for the amazing artwork - https://www.nickcraine.com/
This episode is JAM PACKED. Raj Girn, founder of Anokhi Life, is a is a multi-award winning media & events entrepreneur, brand strategist, marketing consultant, confidence coach, #1 best-selling author, and entertainment personality. She is widely recognized as an expert in niche branding, media, marketing, and public relations, having worked with a vast array of globally recognized brands and celebrities for almost 2 decades.
Raj and I cover a lot of ground in this episode. You will hear about:
- Her incredible journey and experience fusing her Indian and Western backgrounds and identity
- Starting the globally celebrated media company Anokhi Life
- The global influence of Indian fashion and the recent impact of the opening of the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre in Mumbai and its founder/ Chairperson Nita M Ambani
- The zeitgeist moment South Asian culture is having
- How fashion weaves into her successful, executive coaching business
- Raj's perspective on confidence as it relates to fashion, style and the difference between the two
To learn more about Anokhi Life and the 20th anniversary events https://www.anokhilife.com/
Tickets for the Anokhi 20th anniversary events - https://www.anokhi20.com/tickets/
Raj Girn - https://www.rajgirn.com/
IG - https://www.instagram.com/rajgirn/
To learn more about CAFA - the Canadian Arts and Fashion Awards www.cafawards.ca
IG - https://www.instagram.com/cafawards/
This episode was produced by Jason Perrier
IG - https://www.instagram.com/ajasonperrier/
Host Donna Bishop - https://thisisdonnab.ca/
IG - https://www.instagram.com/thisisdonnab/
Follow the podcast
IG - https://www.instagram.com/fashiontalkspod/
Thank you to Nick Craine for the amazing artwork - https://www.nickcraine.com/
Naomi Shapiro of long standing brand Rock n Karma is breaking down over 25 years of fashion success; from street vending as a teenager to kiosks in major malls to store fronts in some of Toronto's coolest neighbourhoods.
Naomi is a force of knowledge and experience. Here energy is infectious as is her positive outlook on life, as well as fashion.
In this episode you'll hear all about:
- What continues to drive Naomi after 25 years
- How she encourages clients to step out of their fashion comfort zone
- The power of clothes and how to harness it
- Naomi's thoughts on how covid impacted our relationship with fashion & on fashion and your age
- How to make your wardrobe timeless (hint, defining what is timeless is part of it and that may not be what you think)
Check out Rock N Karma 789 Queen St W Toronto, ON
https://www.rocknkarma.com/
IG - https://www.instagram.com/rocknkarma/
To learn more about CAFA - the Canadian Arts and Fashion Awards https://www.cafawards.ca/
IG - https://www.instagram.com/cafawards/
This episode was produced by Jason Perrier
IG - https://www.instagram.com/ajasonperrier/
Host Donna Bishop - https://thisisdonnab.ca/
IG - https://www.instagram.com/thisisdonnab/
Follow the podcast
IG - https://www.instagram.com/fashiontalkspod/
Thank you to Nick Craine for the amazing artwork - https://www.nickcraine.com/
FashionTalks is back! Starting April 26 join host Donna Bishop for weekly conversations with designers, entrepreneurs and creatives on thinking and moving through the world through the lens of fashion.
Follow FashionTalks - https://www.instagram.com/fashiontalkspod/
Follow Host Donna Bishop - https://www.instagram.com/thisisdonnab/
Discover our Partner CAFA - https://www.instagram.com/cafawards/
Follow Producer Jason Perrier - https://www.instagram.com/ajasonperrier/
Thanks to Nick Craine for the amazing artwork - https://www.nickcraine.com/
From the FashionTalks vault comes a fantastic conversation with one of the nicest fellas ever. A compelling origins story is so inspiring and Paul Mason's story of how the international sensation, Fashion Santa, came to be is no exception. Paul is proof that you never know what is waiting for you around the corner. The road was full of ups and downs and Paul weathered it all with grace, warmth and, naturally, the spirit of the festive season.Paul and Donna cover not just Fashion Santa, but what Paul observed about people/ what we gain from some lightness in life - and all of this pre-pandemic. Follow Paul on instagram - https://www.instagram.com/fashionsanta/Follow host Donna Bishop on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thisisdonnab/Follow our producing partner CAFA on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/cafawards/
It is not often you hear of someone being drafted as a linebacker for pro football and then pivoting into the fashion industry, but that is exactly what James Yurichuk, CEO of Wuxly has done. James and I have a fascinating conversation that moves between his suburb roots in Ontario, Canada to his love for brand campaigns to how his Brazilian girlfriend inspired a 180 move to starting a parka company to working with serious cultural icons.
James is not your traditional fashion insider and how he thinks about his position in the industry is incredibly unique.
With inspirational parallels between sports and entrepreneurship, James is full of insights that he shares openly.
Learn more about Wuxly - https://wuxly.com/
Instagram - http://bit.ly/3i6CNOg
Check out host Donna Bishop - www.thisisdonnab.ca
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thisisdonnab/
Thanks to our producing partner - www.cafawards.ca
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/cafawards/
Shopping can mean a lot of things to a lot of people. We have all had experiences shopping that have been amazing, or hopefully we all have. Shopping is ever evolving and that has never been more true than right now. Lisa Kisber, co-founder of ShopSquad, shares her deep knowledge of retail and where we are headed with live, digital shopping. Lisa is smart, funny and full of insights. You are going to love this conversation.
Follow Lisa @lkisstyle
Learn more about ShopSquad www.shopsquad.ca
Follow our host Donna Bishop @thisisdonnab
Learn more about CAFA www.cafawards.ca
There is nothing like some behind the scenes intel. Am I right? Vicky has some amazing stories to share as we reminisce about CAFA galas through the years.
Vicky Milner, President of CAFA, has her finger on the pulse of the fashion industry. CAFA (Canadian Arts & Fashion Awards) is Canada's national organization honouring, celebrating and supporting designers and the other creatives within the fashion space. Its annual awards gala is a who's who of the industry combined with the hottest up and coming players. Fashion royalty from all over the world flies into Toronto to revel in the energy and glamour of Canada's most fashionable night. Vicky, who touches every element of the gala, has seen it all.
Follow Vicky Milner: @vickymilner6
Follow host Donna Bishop @thisisdonnab
Learn more about CAFA @cafawards
This one got surprisingly emotional! Melodie Reynolds is a beauty brand founder/ CEO who is breaking all the rules when it comes to makeup. Be it the marketing messages or packaging or ingredients or corporate culture Melodie is maintaining the empowering elements of adornment through beauty while breaking the traditional molds of the billion dollar industry.
Follow Elate and Melodie: @elatecosmetics www.elatebeauty.com
@melodieelated
Follow host Donna Bishop: @thisisdonnab
Follow and learn more about CAFA - Canadian Arts & Fashion Awards @cafawards
Myles Sexton is a force of nature. They are a Creative Director, HIV & Sobriety Activist, model, makeup artist, content creator and lover of all things fashion and travel. In this episode Myles talks openly about how fashion has been an integral part of their life, whether it be their roots on the east coast of Canada, their decision to come forward about living with HIV, the honour of wearing the Amsterdam Rainbow Dress and so much more.
Follow Myles: @mylessexton www.mylessexton.com Watch the video as Myles shares that they are living with HIV - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2MmYyfmFOoM
Follow host Donna Bishop @thisisdonnab
Learn more about CAFA @cafawards www.cafawards.ca
Smash + Tess is a community, a fashion brand and the dream of mother/ daughter team Ashley Freeborn and Teresa Freeborn. Hailed as starting the "Romper Revolution" Ashley's vision goes well beyond the freedom and comfort of the casual dressing that has taken the globe by storm since 2020.
But what does being comfortable really mean? Have we shed a metaphorical corset since the onset of Covid? Hear Ashley's thoughts on this in more.
Follow & Discover Smash + Tess: https://smashtess.com/ @smashtess
Follow host Donna Bishop: @thisisdonnab
Follow CAFA: @cafawards
Michelle and Karen love weddings, but that doesn't mean they didn't see the point of reevaluating the traditions and tropes of the typical, heteronormative, western wedding. We dive into the bridal, white wedding dress and the crushing pressures that the billion dollar wedding industry can impose upon women as they celebrate their nuptials.
As authors of The New Wedding Book: A Guide to Ditching All the Rules, Michelle and Karen uncover the historical foundation of the traditional wedding gown (thank you Queen Victoria, but mostly Princess Grace and Princess Diana) in the hopes of supporting couples to make choices that align with their perspectives, values and forge new tradtions.
The New Wedding Book can be found here - https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/the-new-wedding-book-a/9781459747111-item.html?ikwid=the+new+wedding+book&ikwsec=Home&ikwidx=0#algoliaQueryId=b5ab362fe92db4785119f80c62cbe626
Follow Michelle and Karen: @thenewweddingbook @mbilodeau @karen_cleveland
Follow host Donna Bishop @thisisdonnab @fashiontalkspod
Learn more about CAFA @cafawards www.cafawards.ca
What do you do when getting dressed is traumatizing? If you are Mahrzad Lari you face it head on. As a plus sized man since his youth Mahrzad never felt he could express himself with clothing. Flash forward to 2021 and he is disrupting the menswear industry with his label Wide the Brand. A classic, chic line of modern basics for plus sized men. Mahrzad candidly shares personal stories about his love of fashion, his experience as a plus sized man and why we should take the emotion out of size. Sound familiar?
Episode with Meredith Shaw: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/finding-belonging-in-fashion-with-meredith-shaw/id1271856693?i=1000541311124
Follow Us: @mahrzadlari @widethebrand www.en-ca.widethebrand.com
@thisisdonnab @fashiontalkspod
Is there a connection between our body and our subconscious mind? Atarah breaks down this powerful connection, shares his personal journey and love of fashion and how the clothes we choose can impact our belief system. So much to take in on this one!
Follow Atarah and connect to book a session: https://www.instagram.com/atarahvalentine/
Follow host Donna Bishop: https://www.instagram.com/thisisdonnab/
Learn more about our producing partner the Canadian Arts & Fashion Awards: @cafawards
Yossi has not just worked in fashion, it is in his DNA coming from a family of tailors. From running his own retail business to transitioning his expertise and inspiration to consulting for international brands with a unique, holistic approach.
Through out this conversation, Yossi and Donna discuss: - the important relationship between business and mindset - how fashion does not equal clothing - the dramatically evolving relationship between brands and consumers - the powerful analogy of brand as religion - his words of wisdom at the cusp of a new year
Follow Yossi Fisher: @yossi_fisher
Book a free consulting session with Yossi www.yossifisher.com
Follow host Donna Bishop @thisisdonnab
Grace Lee has seen the beauty industry change a lot in her 26 years of experience. With strong opinions on the specific role of a fashion makeup artist, how social media is shaping the industry and her go-to products, Grace shares all this as well as behind the scenes stories from her days at fashion weeks around the world.
It is About Far More than Bras & Underwear with Chantal Carter of Love and Nudes.
In this episode Chantal Carter shares: * her inspirational and dramatic spark that planted the seed for Love and Nudes * what it means to be seen, and not be seen, in fashion * how she created her own opportunity * what it means to see other companies, larger companies, take a bite of your market
Where to find Chantal: @loveandnudes www.loveandnudes.com
Where to find Donna: @thisisdonnab @fashiontalkspod
To learn more about CAFA: @cafawards www.cafawards.ca
Meredith Shaw is a leader of Canadian Fashion Authority, On-Air personality on CHUM FM and Style-Expert on The Social + The Marilyn Denis Show. Meredith inspires women of all sizes across the country through body positivity activism, modelling and style expertise.
Donna and Meredith talk about: * Working in fashion as a curvy woman * The language of body types * Taking the emotion out of size * The challenge of the word "inclusive" sizing * Dispelling myths of curvy women
Mentioned in this Episode: @diana.dares http://www.marielleelizabeth.com/ https://www.hilarymacmillan.com/
Where to Meredith Shaw: * @meredithshaw - including her body language series * https://www.femmefaire.ca/ for the MEREband in support of Girls Inc. - a National Organization encouraging young women of all backgrounds to be strong, smart and bold
Where to Find Host Donna Bishop * @thisisdonnab * @fashiontalkspod
Our Producing Partner @cafawards - the Canadian Arts & Fashion Awards
FashionTalks is back! Donna Bishop returns with candid interviews with designers, stylists, artists, activists and leaders within the fashion industry. What we wear says something. Fashion literally talks. Join us beginning November 10 for conversations on the power and persuasion of fashion.
Where to Find Us: * @fashiontalkspod * @thisisdonnab
Fashion designer Tanya Taylor is full of surprises. Whether it is dressing strong, powerful woman (hello, Michelle Obama) or sharing her unique journey to fashion design or talking about the joys of print and colour, Tanya is full of optimism and inspiration.
Follow on Instagram: @fashiontalkspod @thisisdonnab @tanyataylor
Next In Fashion designer Charles Lu is exactly as you see him on the popular Netflix series host by Tan France and Alexa Chung. He is candid, warm, funny and full of stories. He openly chats with host Donna Bishop about his childhood, his love of fashion and the experience of being on an international TV show sensation.
Follow us in Instagram!
FashionTalks at @fashiontalkspod Host Donna Bishop @thisisdonnab
Today's guest Charles at @charles__lu
Before COVID, Donna Bishop sat down with fashion designer Catherine Addai. She has an amazing story of turning her side hustle fashion brand, Kaela Kay, into an international sensation. From being featured on CNN to infusing her Ghanaian roots into her designs, Catherine shares her journey with humour and directness.
Before COVID, host Donna Bishop sat down with two powerful and passionate entrepreneurs who put purpose at the centre of their brand: Elle AyouZadeh, found of Zvelle, and Pegah Kargar, founder of Repaint History. Both business owners speak openly about starting their brands, how they infuse purpose through every aspect of their operations and the challenges and joys of running a fashion company.
Before COVID, host Donna Bishop sat down with the incredible Annie Horth. Horth is responsible for numerous iconic looks worn by Céline Dion, including the white, Dior tuxedo Dion wore to the 1999 Oscars. The Québec native shares stories of working and collaborating with Céline (she was the first to wear couture during her concert tours), and what keeps her going in the fashion industry. How she got her start as a stylist is an amazing story (and provides a wonderful full circle career moment).
Victoria Hayes has become a favourite designer of Lady Gaga, Andra Day, Cardi B, Alicia Keys, Ariana Grande and many more. Hayes speaks openly about the struggles and joys of being an independent designer and candidly shares stories from her childhood in Canada through to life in NYC.
Photo shoots are complex and creative events. Canadian supermodel Kim Cloutier, photographer Lindsay Anne Delaney and fashion designer Mikhael Kale discuss “Lower Level. Shot in Toronto’s abandoned Lower Bay subway station, it is an electrifying juxtaposition of grit and glamour, both editorial and exhibition and spins a narrative of feminine power that is bold, contemporary and compelling.
Calli and Sam Beckerman, aka The Beckerman Twins, started their fashion blog before fashion blogging was a thing and quickly became a fixture at New York Fashion Week and beyond. They candidly share stories about their childhood, running their fashion brand and transitioning to blogging, what it means to be an influencer and their thoughts on fashion and the ever evolving media landscape change.
Knix wear, an intimates company with sales passes $50-million, wants to change the way women relate to and celebrate their bodies. CEO Joanna Griffiths began Knix in 2013 with core products of leak proof panties and comfortable bras. Her purpose driven brand is giving the whole lingerie category cause to pay attention to her small (under 100 staff members) but mighty growing company.
When Meghan Markle visited Australia in 2018 she wore a pair of skinny, black jeans by Outland Denim. This resulted in the company growing to employ dozens of new employees at their production house. James Bartle, founder and CEO has an incredible mission: to provide careers for women who've been exposed to sex trafficking in Asia and to support their well being through fair wages, training and personal development. They are also sustainable working a numerous local partners proving that fashion can change the world.