CAFA Profiles

Christopher Paunil – An Artful Alliance “The business of fashion is sometimes overlooked,” says emerging designer Christopher Paunil. While it is true that fashion’s creative facet tends to take the spotlight, a brand simply cannot survive without the essentials of commerce, finance, marketing, and administration. The Toronto-based designer, along with his business manager Chalo Barruta, aims to strike a balance between artistry and business savvy. The duo recently spoke with CAFA about their latest ventures, including their residency at the Toronto Fashion Incubator (TFI) and designing for Kleinfeld Hudson’s Bay. To read more about Christopher Paunil, please visit http://www.christopherpaunil.com CAFA: What first inspired you to make a career of fashion design? CP: I was first inspired by my grandmother who lived with my family while I was growing up. I would often see her making patterns, sewing dresses and creating her own garments. I also had a strong interest in…

Matthew Gallagher – In the Spotlight If you are a follower of Canadian fashion, the name Matthew Gallagher should certainly ring a bell. The bourgeoning designer is having a defining year – he was among the nominees for the CAFA 2015 Swarovski Award for Emerging Talent and is currently up for the prestigious TFI New Labels prize. He has also dressed the likes of actress Elisha Cuthbert, who wore Maison Matthew Gallagher to The Golden Globes fêtes earlier this year. Armed with Milanese training, an innovative approach to design and a personable manner, it is easy to see why Canada’s fashion community is beginning to take note of this fresh talent. We stopped by Matthew Gallagher’s studio to talk about his flourishing career and to hear his insights on the challenges of being a contemporary emerging designer in Canada. Certain photos courtesy of Katya Koroscil. To read more about Matthew…

Emerging Fashion Fridays – Jacqueline Piron Upon graduation from the prestigious Wilfrid Laurier University School of Business, Jacqueline joined her family’s business as a marketing and brand strategist. She has travelled extensively to Europe, Japan and the United States, honing her business skills and gathering inspiration from museums, art and fashion from around the world. Jacqueline was always eager to carry on the fashion tradition. Her mother, designed one-of-a-kind luxury sweaters made with French angora, pearl buttons from Harrods, silk and mohair yarns from Germany and Italy. Today, Jacqueline is picking up the pieces that her mother left behind; incorporating similar embellishments to her luxury t-shirt designs. Jacqueline’s collections are inspired by historic cities and each shirt is named after women in her life who has inspired her. She uses the finest available materials: Swarovski crystals, French angora, Italian and German mohair, leather, Italian silk organza, Japanese lace and ribbons….

Rudy Bois – Emerging Fashion Fridays Quebec City based designer, Rudy Bois, was born in Trois-Pistoles, Quebec, Canada. It’s after his Paris internship in fashion marketing that he reconnected with his childhood passion for designing womenswear. Rudy Bois launched his first high-end ready-to-wear collection under the label RUDYBOIS for the spring summer 2013 season. Success was immediate. This debut collection gave the brand a window through the international fashion press. RUDYBOIS designs have been featured in Elle Canada, Elle Québec, Dress To Kill, FASHION Magazine, LOULOU Magazine as one of the top Canadian brands, in Clin d’Oeil Magazine and several mainstream fashion publications. Many public personalities have worn RUDYBOIS, such as actress Karine Vanasse, international fashion model Pamela Bernier, TV host Véronique Cloutier and singer Marie-Mai. The first RUDYBOIS runway show featured the Spring Summer 2015 collection. It was presented on October 22nd 2014 at the World MasterCard Fashion Week…

Daniel Christian Tang – Emerging Fashion Fridays MORFOLOGI by DANIEL CHRISTIAN TANG Morfologi, by Daniel Christian Tang, is not just a line of jewelry – it is a tactile architectural experience. The jewelry created in the collection are true, one of a kind pieces of wearable art. Each piece is custom made from a single 3D printed file, cast in the finest materials and finished in Platinum, 18k Gold or 18k Rose Gold . Through the fusion of innovative design and modern technology, Daniel Christian Tang, has created a jewelry collection that harmoniously blends modern style with timeless elegance inspired by the intersection of art and architecture. The design team that makes up Daniel Christian Tang is one with an eclectic mix of disciplines that range from Biochemistry & Architecture to Material Sciences & Art. Graduating in all disciplines with Degrees of Distinction and High Distinction, the team of Daniel…

Opelle – Emerging Fashion Fridays Striking the perfect balance between luxury and functionality, homegrown label Opelle is making a splash in the Canadian fashion scene with its line of high quality handbags. The brand’s vision is to “create pieces that close the gap between traditional luxury & fast-fashion”. Using 100% genuine leather handcrafted in a utilitarian design, Opelle’s Permanent Collection encompasses 24 unique styles with seasonal collections released twice a year. Founder Amy Malcolm is a Toronto-native with a multi-disciplinary background of formal and non-formal training in sculpture, industrial design, textiles & women’s wear. Her training is complimented by self-taught skills and techniques developed through years of experimentation. Initially using her home as a work studio and selling online on Etsy, Amy has developed a loyal following. She maintains a strong, hands-on relationship with each stage of Opelle’s creative process ensuring that each bag is a true reflection of her…

Dolorous Jewelry – Emerging Fashion Fridays Dolorous Jewelry is a collection of hand made accessories designed and produced by Toronto-native Danielle Singer. Inspired by historical and specifically Medieval accessories, Dolorous Jewelry is known for its signature styles of body chains including Broad Collar Shoulder Jewelry, a variety of Hand Pieces and versatile cross-body necklaces. The line has an organic aesthetic that gives a casual and wearable feel to each piece whether it is a subtle unisex lariat or an elaborate statement piece. With a background in both independent and formal studies of drawing and sculpture, and eventually formal training in the trade of Goldsmithing from George Brown College, founder Danielle Singer has always brought a unique sculptural sense to all her designs. The line was born during the designer’s time at school, using her bedroom as a studio, and selling through Etsy and a select group of local vendors. Inspired…

3.PARADIS – Emerging Fashion Fridays Established in 2013, 3.PARADIS is an innovative and trendsetting luxury ready-to-wear brand founded by designers Emeric Tchatchoua and Raymond Cheung. Long-time friends, Emeric and Ray come from two different corners of the world (Paris and Hong Kong) with a common artistic vision and dream of uniting and embracing all cultures and differences. They are the authentic innovators and visionaries that bring about the magic behind the brand, the vision and creativity. Emeric “Rico” Tchatchoua and Raymond “Samuray” Cheung respectively from Paris, FRANCE and Hong Kong, CHINA graduated from ESMM and Lasalle Fashion School, Montreal in 2015. After a trip around Europe in 2013, the two designers decided to introduce their approach and passion for fashion and art to the world through the luxury ready to wear label 3.PARADIS by deconstructing traditional ideas and reinventing conventions in menswear with no boundaries, no rules, no conventions.Growing up…

NOWHERE- Emerging Fashion Fridays Elisa Medina’s creative pursuits began with a love for painting and drawing in Quito, Ecuador. Moving to Vancouver, Canada in 2008 allowed Medina to cultivate her technical skills in fashion design at Kwantlen Polytechnic University. In addition, the opportunity to study textile and print design in England expanded the possibilities to translate Medina’s visual arts background into fabric and further developed her fascination with the effect that a garment could have on behavior, action, and perception. Nowhere, the line Elisa has created, draws inspiration from the uniqueness of surfaces combined with textural prints and patchwork details. “Nowhere delves into the intrinsic memory of surfaces, as the passage of time leaves its imprint on them, creating layers of texture and markings that are unique to each material”. Her collection for TOM S/S 2016 is highly influenced by the 1930’s, an era where there was an emphasis on…

Arc Jewellery- Emerging Fashion Fridays Designed and handcrafted in Montreal by Lina Hu, Arc Jewellery was born in a time of transition. Originally in Montreal to pursue a Master’s Degree in Epidemiology, Lina quickly realized that this was not her calling. She made the difficult decision to leave school, and, on a whim, decided to enroll in a jewellery course. Lina fell in love with metalsmithing, and spent the spring and summer of 2013 developing pieces that have evolved into her two premier collections: Petites Pensees and Pointed Feelings launched in February of 2014. A rational sensibility from Lina’s background in science translates to the clean lines and constrained forms of Arc Jewellery. The newly launched Linearity collection echoes the geometry of the first two groupings, but reduces the ideas to more minimal and almost two-dimensional forms. Lina’s designs are polished, simple, and meant to be worn together in a…