Atlantic Fashion Week to continue despite end of Toronto Fashion Week
'I'm not going anywhere,' says founder Angela Campagnoni
The founder of Atlantic Fashion Week said the show will go on in 2016.
"We're not going anywhere yet," said Angela Campagnoni.
Her promise comes amidst a disappointing week for many in the fashion industry, as the organizers of Toronto Fashion Week cancelled the event due to a lack of funding.
Funding isn't easy to get on the East Coast either, but Campagnoni has managed to make ends meet for nine years, 10 when the event runs again this October. Campagnoni said it's a business that requires passion, something that she radiates: "I'm still stubborn. I'm not going anywhere."
Toronto Fashion Week was 'iconic'
However, the loss of Toronto Fashion Week hit home for one Halifax designer.
"It was that iconic thing," designer Katrina Tuttle said. "It was the place to be seen, it was the place to promote, it was the place to kind of brand and expand." She's taken part in both Toronto Fashion Week and Atlantic Fashion Week.
Tuttle's storefront says a lot about just how busy she is: she doesn't use any signage on street level of her showroom, as she's already booked solid by brides-to-be who know how to find her. Tuttle said many are return customers from her time showing and selling non-bridal lines of clothing during fashion weeks.
Major fashion events in Canada have an intangible impact on most up-and-coming artists.
"It sort of sets a little bit of a goal in their heart, like something to strive for," said Gary Markle, an associate professor of fashion at NSCAD.
Navigating a changing industry
However, the business benefits of fashion week — networking, building a brand and developing interest in buyers — aren't unique to fashion events anymore. "Now people are using social media to advertise and promote themselves," said Markle, who sees his students using increasingly creative ways to independently get the attention they want.
Tuttle acknowledges times have changed significantly, even in the time since she participated in fashion weeks a few years ago. But from an industry perspective, she's optimistic.
"Even though we're seeing [Toronto's] event go, maybe it's time to breathe some new life and look at new ways that fit with how we buy fashion, how we see fashion in the modern day."