CAFA Awards celebrate Canadian fashion achievement
Now in its fourth year, the Canadian Arts & Fashion Awards (CAFA) celebrated outstanding achievement and emerging talent in the Canadian fashion industry at a gala on April 7.
CAFA president Vicky Milner says it’s an amazing night that brings the whole industry together in Toronto to celebrate each other. “When you look around the room you’ve got stylists, designers, photographers and models, the media is there, people who just love Canadian fashion are there, and there’s really great energy and a spirit of support.”
Among some big-name Canadian talents in the global fashion industry recognized with special awards was Imran Amed, founder and CEO of The Business of Fashion. Originally from Calgary, Amed received the Hudson’s Bay Vanguard award. The award recognized his contribution to the global fashion industry as a writer, thinker and commentator. “He has one of the biggest and best globally regarded fashion platforms for news and awareness,” Milner said.
Montreal-born Erdem Moralioglu received The International Canadian Designer of the Year Award for bringing attention to Canadian talent on the world stage. Erdem is based in London.
The Fashion Impact Award honours philanthropic fashion designers or brands who are making a difference and bringing awareness to social causes. The award went to David Dickson who received a special tribute acknowledging his project for cancer awareness called, “Know your Genes.”
“It was great to see some of these really big names in the global fashion community come back and be honoured and recognized in their home country by their peers, not just because they’re Canadian, but because they’re people who are making incredible advances and strides in the global industry,” Milner said.
The Swarovski Award for Emerging Talent is a self-nominating award that seeks to identify the next new crop of great emerging talent in the country. CAFA receives entries from all over the country from people who have been designing for five years or less. The designer, Maram, was recognized as a true creative force in Canadian fashion in this category.
The International Style Icon Award, a new category this year, recognizes someone whose unique personality and style has grabbed the attention of the global fashion industry. It went to 96-year-old Iris Apfel who says ‘getting dressed is a creative act.’ Milner says Apfel remains very active in the industry, traveling, collaborating on projects and running a variety of campaigns. “Apfel is inspirational, stylish and fashionable but in a unique way, and a great advocate for style and fashion. She has a great attitude, great work ethic, and supports individuality and creativity and believing in yourself.”
CAFA also celebrates ingenuity in Canadian fashion. “There’s some amazing talent in our country and they are doing interesting things,” says Milner. Take Sid Neigum for example, who was nominated for Womenswear Designer of the Year. He is set apart by the textures he uses and his architectural approach, seen in designs that reveal a fresh new take.
Beaufille won the Womenswear Designer of the Year Award in recognition of their cool, sophisticated yet edgy designs.
UNTTLD is another design line that uses amazing fabrics like crepe to produce very high end clothing with beautiful tailoring. This duo out of Montreal was last year’s emerging talent, known for sophisticated clothes but always with a twist, an edge and amazing detail that really sets it apart, Milner says.
Canada is getting a lot of great attention in the world right now, not just in fashion but in general, because of the way the world is going. “Sophie Trudeau has really helped on a global map, wearing all these great Canadian designers to all these events she goes to. And she’s great about advertising that,” Milner said. She predicts interest and curiosity about Canada will grow.
The Canadian fashion industry is not without its challenges. “There’s always been the discussion about how our government doesn’t provide the same level of support for fashion. That’s always been a challenge, that identification of fashion as being part of art and culture and being provided the same opportunities as other artistic endeavours, so funding is always an issue.”
CAFA helps overcome these challenges by garnering greater support for the Canadian fashion industry. “Open your eyes to what’s in this country, and wear these amazing clothes. In turn you’re supporting a small business, helping the economy to thrive, creating inspiration and opportunity for the next generation of designers.”