Meg’s Blog

Hello Beautiful People,

This is an audio podcast about the Toronto Fashion Cluster that I have created. It is everything you need to know about the fashion cluster enjoy.

Here’s the online player http://odeo.com/channel/778793/view

Here’s the link to download it.
Meg’s Blog

SUMMARY

Linda Loudermilk has started a new trend of eco-fashion. What eco-fashion is stylized clothing that uses environmentally sensitive fabrics and responsible production techniques. “Clothes and accessories that meet such criteria are usually made using organic raw materials, such as cotton grown without pesticides, or re-used materials such as recycled plastic from old soda bottles. Eco-fashions don’t involve the use of harmful chemicals and bleaches to color fabrics—and are made by people earning fair wages in healthy working conditions.”(www.environment.about.com) Barneys has been enthused about this new trend of going green. Fashion has taken a new turn to change people’s views of fashion being superficial. They have now taken a social responsibility to their community. There has been in countless controversy about racism, sweat shops, anorexia/bulemia, etc. It is time that they have become socially responsible.  New York had their fashion week to promote eco-fashion, to create awareness that the fashion world has gone green.

http://environment.about.com/od/earthtalkcolumns/a/ecofashion.htm

THOUGHTS

I am quite excited at the fact that Green is taking into the fashion industry. I have always had a passion for fashion, yet I felt guilty due to all the superficial perception that the fashion industry has. Due to the fact that North America is now more aware of the Green way and are more cautious about their health and environment, it is a good move for designers to move into that direction. They will gain credibility and become favourble which will lead to a greater market and new customers.

http://www.iht.com/articles/1999/03/13/rcult.t.php

SUMMARY

It all started when Calvin Klein was criticized for an ad with two skeletal skinny children wearing underwear.  There is an issue that clothes aren’t just clothes that we wear.  It is popular culture that is telling young children what to wear which is an unrealistic image of a person, such as Barbie.  It is a social issue that designers have to face when marketing their collection.  The fashion industry has become so superficial to the point where it is at the expense of a young mind.  Demeaning the integrity of a person.

THOUGHTS

I agree with the article that I have found.  Over the years, fashion has given people especially young girls the unrealistic view of how they should be.  Girls wear clothes that demean their integrity, they learn to dress up very suggestively, open to predators to take advantage.  Not just that, but it doesn’t help with their self-esteem.  Self-respect needs to be taught with learning fashion.  Young minds cannot wear things without giving it thought to how it reflect themselves.  I even try myself to make sure I do not wear anything to disrespect myself nor anyone in my family.  It is important because when you are out in the world, first impressions are pertinent.  Not just in the business world but in socially as well.

http://www.fibre2fashion.com/news/apparel-news/newsdetails.aspx?news_id=53303

THOUGHTS

This is an awesome way to contribute to our home, Earth. There is now a recycling program for old unwanted clothing. Loomstate and Barneys offer 20% discounts if you bring clothing in to be recycled and 1% goes back for the planet. It is great initiative for the fashion industry to go Green. The fashion industry was the last place I thought would go Green with such a superficial world. But this is awesome way to contribute to the planet and encourage others to be eco-friendly.

http://www.thestar.com/article/222939

SUMMARY

The Toronto Fashion Incubator has lost its battle with Baywood Homes, a development company possibly itching to turn the Queen St. W. property into a condominium project. It won’t renew the incubator’s lease, which expires Aug. 31.  A launching pad for some of Canada’s hottest fashion talent, including David Dixon, Joeffer Caoc and Arthur Mendonça, the incubator provides work space, workshops and equipment to more than 330 aspiring fashion designers. “But this is development. We’re just a little non-profit. We don’t have a lot of power. “Plans to build the incubator a permanent home on Atlantic Ave. are a few years off, Giambrone adds. The Ontario Municipal Board is reviewing Baywood’s development proposal to build luxury condos just west of the incubator location, knocking out a building at 48 Abell St. that houses an artists commune.

THOUGHTS

Queen St. has always been part of the fashion incubator, but now it’s sad to see it go.  It has always been the hot spot for shopping, or just fun to look at the collection.  Fashion incubator is a non-for-profit and could not afford to buy it off from Baywood.  I don’t know where exactly they will be located since I really dont know where Atlantic Ave is.  Queen St. was such an excellent location, it is near the Eatons Centre, Paramount theatre, much music, all the places that will create the most traffic. We’ll see in the future how the plans go for the New Fashion incubator.

http://www.e-consultancy.com/news-blog/365094/web-2-0-to-change-fashion-forever.html

http://www.trade-schools.net/articles/fashion-careers.asp

This website is perfect for people who want to get into the fashion industry, especially if you want to be a designer. It has the resources to different schools that are specifically for fashion and are well known. There you can learn about different fashion design schools, Fashion marketing & Merchandising Schools, Fashion Careers, Fashion Design Process, Fashion Market Research, Fashion Trend Forecasting, fashion design, Sourcing, Pattern Drafting, Apparel production, Fashion marketing, Fashion Buying, Retail & Merchandising, and different articles on the fashion careers. What is important is that you can find these courses not only in Canada but in the U.S as well. This is to ensure that your career in the fashion industry is set and ready to go. They want to provide us information to take us to right path to ensure success to future designers.

http://www.torontostreetfashion.com/

Introducing street fashion into the market, helps fashionista’s know what is happening in the market.  This website is pretty much and update new forum of what is going on in Toronto regarding the Fashion industry. An event that the website is promoting rite now from April 9 – 11 is Toronto Fashion Alternative Arts and Fashion week. That is as well followed by Exodus show brought to you by the Ryerson Fashion Students.  They are promoting eco-friendly fashion created by Canadian designers.

This website has links to ways you can find street fashion in Toronto, links to a specific Toronto Designers’ website to look at the latest collection, learn about upcoming events, news and lots of photographs.

It is a great website to understand the fashion culture of Toronto, as well encourage individuality to young fashionistas.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080403/lf_nm/fashion_losangeles_dc;_ylt=A0WTcXaNXvpHiDEBOgFPWrsF

SUMMARY

L.A Designers are in need to be recognized and respected. “Los Angels fashion insiders are tired of playing second to New York.” (http://news.yahoo.com) Fashion is the city’s largest manufacturing industry, and employs more people here than in New York, They are the merchandisers of the world (http://news.yahoo.com) Although, while the number of people working apparel manufacturing has declined by almost half since 1997, sales from the industry have grown over 60%. That is because Southern California is no home to many designers such as Sue Wong, Bad boy Christian Audigier, True Religion or Quiksilver. Like Montreal they are as well coming up with their fashion week. They are opening one in Europe and New York. It will showcase collections by B-level celebrities. “IDG World Expo, the trade show organizers behind Macworld, is launching “REVEAL Los Angeles,” a series of semi-annual events debuting next March to showcase talent for global buyers while elevating the industry’s stature. (http://news.yahoo.com)

THOUGHTS

I never thought that LA would be second to New York, with the film industry booming in their area in Hollywood. New York is known to be fashion forward than most states, but I would never thought L.A would be having difficulties competing with that state. Having a fashion week in New York will raise awareness and bring up the preception of L.A fashion. As well, broadening themselves to Europe will give them that competitive edge they need. I just love fashion overall, whether it is from New York, L.A or Timbucktoo. Its appreciating art and open to new ideas and designs that the world has to do.

Quebec designers broaden their reach Andy Blatchford THE CANADIAN PRESS

http://www.thestar.com/living/article/404628

SUMMARY

Montreal is having their fashion week to showcase Quebec designers their collections to help compete with their low-cost Asian competitors.  “Designers say local apparel has become almost too expensive to stitch together as demand for made-in-Quebec products grows.” (www.thestar.com)  Montreal Fashion week will be a four-day event to showcase the fall collection by local and international designers for buyers and media.  This is an opportunity for the public to see the collection up close and will hopefully boost support for the industry and raise visibility of some designers.  Montreal Fashion Week organizers plan an internation fashion show in Paris to create the Showroom and help local designers broaden their global reach as well showcase Paris’ talents.  More than a dozen French designers joined approximately 65 exhibitors, such as Marie Saint Pierre, Muse par Christian Chenail, and Thieves in Le Showroom.

THOUGHTS

I think that it is a great way to market out the local designers in Quebec to compete with their low-cost Asian competitors.  It will raise awareness and hopefully bring in more customers for their local designers.  That is how Toronto is such a hot bed for alternative design created by Toronto designers.  With their different events going on showcasing their collection, the people of Toronto have catch on to the style that designers have brought to the table.  Bringing Montreal Fashion week abroad will be too risky although i feel it would be a great idea.  Paris and Milan are well known to be fashion forward then the rest of the world.  It will be difficult to compete in the European market because of that but, if the designers are impressive enough they can succeed in penetrating through that market.