LG Fashion Week Shows Love to Ryerson Fashion Grads

Sheena Osman

Slides 1 &2: Dayna Phillips; Slides 3&4: David Chou; Slides 5&6:  Heidi Ackerman; Slides 7&8: Sidney Holloway; Slides 9&10: Kat Marks; Slides 11&12: Sara Duke

It was the final day of Fashion Week with the festival called Show Love and recent graduates from the School of Fashion from Ryerson University had the opportunity to showcase their lines.

Ryerson’s School of Fashion was the only non-retail design participant. Instead, the emphasis was on the creative designs. The show featuring six recent fashion design graduates, was coordinated by Assistant Professor David Brame from the Ryerson School of Fashion.

“I felt that we as a school wanted to give our recent graduates a lift into the real world,” said Robert Ott, Chair of the School of Fashion and Faculty of Communication & Design at Ryerson. “And we’re here really to show the creative talent that the School of Fashion at Ryerson University provides.”

It’s refreshing to see upcoming designers getting recognition for their work in such a large-scale event such as LG Fashion Week.

Sara Duke, who graduated from the School of Fashion in 2008, had her line From Underground featured in the show. Duke was awarded the Stanley Heller NAMSB (National Association of Men’s Sportswear Buyers)   Foundation Award for her line. The line was inspired by Dostoevsky costume and focused on men’s clothing.

“It was based on a book by Dostoevsky called Notes from Underground,” said Duke. “It was based on a particular part in couple pages of the novel where he has to go out and get an entirely new wardrobe to impress someone so that’s what it was based on.”

Being apart of LG Fashion week was a rewarding experience for Duke.

“I feel like a real designer actually, that’s how I feel,” said Duke.

Currently Duke runs her own freelance design company and eventually plans on doing a street wear line that is very wearable and is graphic.

“It’s a dream,” said Duke. “I love to continue what I’m doing the way that I’m doing it for as long as I can,” said Duke.

 Heidi Ackerman, who graduated from the School of Fashion in 2008, was another designer featured in the show with her line Flight which consisted of colourful knitwear combined with eco-materials, graphic print designs and a variety of knit textures. Who would’ve thought that knitwear can look so fashionable? Definitely a stylish line. Her line won her the Beefeater Innovative Sprit Award at Toronto Alternative Arts & Fashion Week.

What makes Ackerman different from other designers is how she combines her passion for fashion with her eco-savvy nature by creating sustainable designs.

“Sustainability has always been really important to me in my life,” said Ackerman. “After first year, I went tree-planting in B.C. and that was quite an eye-opening experience so it sort of made me question why I am in fashion or what can I do in fashion to translate my passion for fashion and creating with an ethical sort of stand-point.”

Dayna Phillips, who graduated from Ryerson in 2008, had her line Prim and Primitive featured at Fashion Week. The line had more of a gothic feel to it which I loved, I like anything dark. The line had the perfect combo of black and deep purple. Her work has earned her the Alfred Sung Production Award and she has had a dress showcased at Holt Renfrew.

Phillips’s line was inspired by intricate costume.

“I actually took an elective in third year was the Literary Genre of Goth Horror so I kind of took inspiration from that and it’s supposed to be a progression of the classic female character,” said Phillips. “So there’s a little bit of innocence, a little bit of corruption, it’s dark and there’s a lot of things involved.”

LG Fashion Week was way for Phillips to get her name out there.

“It’s totally a different caliber that I have ever been involved with so it’s pretty cool,” said Phillips.

Upcoming designers deserve the same amount of professional attention just as any other established designer. Ott agrees.

“It’s where we need to be and we would not accept anything less than being at LG Fashion Week.”