By Olivia Belande, Ethereal and romantic in stature, Yasmeen Ghauri is a Canadian-born supermodel of Pakistani and German heritage who quickly swept the nation and helped to diversify the national modelling industry. The supermodel was discovered in 1988 at the age of 17, while working in a Montreal based Macdonald’s location. Quickly thereafter, Ghauri became the face of Chanel, Elle, Christian Dior, Jil…
Tag: Fashion
D’Arcy Moses
By Dr. Mark Joseph O’Connell, The SFRC has a dress by Canadian fashion designer D’Arcy Moses in the collection. The garment is a fascinating juxtaposition of traditional First Nations iconography as well as contemporary non-Indigenous cultural influences and can be read like a text though object-based research. Intricately beaded and adorned, it contains iconographic elements of the South Slavey…
Greta Constantine
By Anna Ludmirsky, The remarkable duo Kirk Pickersgill and Stephen Wong, founders of the ready-to-wear womenswear brand Greta Constantine have gone above and beyond when it comes to achievements throughout their careers. Since starting their brand in 2006 in Toronto, Canada, they have come a long way to the level they are on now. The…
The Game-Changer Pant – IZ Adaptive
By Anna Ludmirsky, Able-bodied people do not often think about the construction of clothing taking a toll on their daily lives. The fashion industry also often does not consider the many disabilities that need catering to that do not have many options when buying clothes, be it from people with sensory issues, people with Alzheimer’s, and wheelchair-bound people. Though there are countless…
Hoax Couture
By Rose de Paulsen, Hoax Couture is a Toronto based team with over 35 years of experience of garment creation for all genders. The team is co-led by Chris Tyrell and Jim Searle. Both specialized in bespoke and custom garments ranging from menswear to bridal to childrenswear. Hoax Couture is one of the only companies in Toronto to create custom garments from drawings/photos brought in…
Virtual Visits During the COVID Pandemic
By Dale Peers, While the COVID pandemic has restricted movement and closed many doors it has also spurred the opening of many others. Museum exhibitions that might have been difficult if not impossible to attend are now available through virtual visits. Here are just a few that you might enjoy. Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams…
The New Roaring Twenties
by Dale Peers, Here we come! The first 12 months of this new decade have certainly been tumultuous. And, I wonder whether that means we are at just the beginning of another Roaring Twenties. The pandemic has been an event of global proportions not unlike the first World War. The “war to end all wars”…
Collar Connotations
By Dale Peers The recent passing of Supreme Court Judge (and completely amazing woman!), the notorious RBG – aka Ruth Bader Ginsburg – has highlighted her iconic collar. Is it possible this often, overlooked element of fashion, or accessory in the case of her honour, may enjoy a revival due to its sudden notoriety and…
Identity and Identifier: Two of the Many Roles of Fashion
by Dale Peers, The source of inspiration for this blog came from a book gifted to me by Professor Jenifer Forrest entitled, “Threads of Feeling” by John Styles. This publication, from The Foundling Museum in London, describes the archive of 5,000 small textile items dating from the middle decades of the middle 18th century found…
Fashion Post Quarantine
By Dale Peers Fashion is a reflection of zeitgeist and our current zeitgeist has undergone a paradigm shift. This pandemic has impacted lives globally and it continues to do so as we begin the process of emerging from quarantine. We have seen after each major political, social, economic event in the past century a shift,…