Art of Fashion

First things first. You know it’s going to be a fantastic event when two of the most important words that the English language has to offer make up the title.

So what is the Art of Fashion? So glad you asked! AOF Inc is a not-for-profit organization founded in 1998 by Michelle Planche, President of Paradigm Events. Over the last ten years, Michelle has devoted much of her time to fostering the careers of Canadian apparel and accessory designers and providing them with much needed platforms for exposure.

Two key events are the AOF Design Competition and Trunk Show. The competition goes down during Scotiabank Nuit Blanche on October 4th (MARK IT DOWN!) at Wrong Bar and displays 10 chosen collections by emerging designers.

Designers will vie for two titles – Most Promising Designer and Best Exhibit in accordance with this year’s theme, Between the Lines. There’s lots of room for creativity as the concept can be interpreted in any number of ways - “the divide between good and evil, black and white, heaven and hell, dusk and dawn, or even an everyday juxtaposition. It is an exploration that unites cultural, historical, and community boundaries.”

Judges of the show include Star Judge Evan Biddell, Canadian designer extraordinaire and past winner of Project Runway Canada. The rest of the judging panel is rounded off by Michelle Germain, Owner and Curator of Shopgirls Boutique on Queen, and designer and FGI (Fashion Group International) representative Farley Chatto.

Luckily for us, there’s more! The second event – the AOF Trunk Show – takes place at the Drake Hotel on October 16th and is best described at a shopping extravaganza. Need I say more? This show helps new designers sell their creations (clothing and accessories) as well as network with media and buyers. It is at the Trunk Show that the winner of the AOF Design Competition is announced and awarded a cash prize along with a very generous media package.

For more info, check out www.artoffashion.org