OLIVIA RUBENS

“When people think of eco-friendly clothing, they envision something very bland and granola; I really have fun challenging that and going in the opposite direction,” says Olivia Rubens, a 26-year-old designer whose kooky, colourful designs are the antithesis of dull. The Ryerson grad and SRFI fellow is now completing her MA in womenswear at the London College of Fashion. “My goal is to bring my craft up to the level of a couturier,” she says. But it’s been a long journey: She applied and was rejected four times before she finally got in. “I just won’t give up,” she says. Rubens hopes to snag a coveted atelier position working for Vivienne Westwood or Faustine Steinmetz before returning to Canada to spearhead her own label. With her unmatched level of grit and determination, there’s no doubt she’ll make it happen.