Sarah StevenSon, 32

Label Sarah Stevenson (sarahstevensondesign.com)

What Contemporary women’s clothing with original patterns and artwork digitally printed onto fine fabrics such as silk

Why Stevenson won the recent TFI New Labels competition, which includes the chance to design a limited-edition collection that will be sold in Target stores across Canada.

Quit your day job? I haven’t, yet. It’s hard — I work nights and weekends, but it doesn’t really feel like work because I love it so much. Has being a Canadian label affected the

way you shop? I don’t know if it’s being a Canadian label or just starting your own business, but it opens your eyes to so many things you wouldn’t know as a general consumer. Once you become a designer and realize all the different steps that go into making it, you appreciate the quality, the prices.

Shout-out eliza Kozurno, an amazing jewellery designer based in Canada. I’m also a huge Golnaz Ashtiani fan, who has won the New Labels in the past.

Outlook There’s a new level of awareness — the people that I’ve met are conscious of how and where things are made, and that a person designed it, and thought about it. But being in Canada where industry aren’t as easily accessible, we have to be more resourceful and have tenacity. It’s a lot more legwork!

Coming this fall Fluid blouses and skirts in the showpiece winter floral trellis print from her TFI New Labels-winning collection

Sarah wears … Loire metallic rose gold and leather sandals by John Fluevog, $225 at Fluevog stores ( fluevog.com) A chiffon maxi dress (worn as a skirt) of her own design, $750 and ivy print silk-satin scarf, $120 (sarahstevensondesign.com)