Sustainable Fashion Showcase Featuring Emerging Designers Metamorphosis & Santé Restaurant
Micaela Cook Micaela Cook began her design career by drawing and creating costumes. In high school, she maintained her dream of becoming a fashion designer. She began her career studying Fashion Design at Fanshawe College. Upon graduating, Micaela received a bursary to attend the University of Huddersfield in the UK where she grew her confidence in, and flair for her Out of the Box Thinking designs. When Micaela is designing, she is inspired by cultures and landscapes, the odd or the unusual shapes and colours. Every design focuses on flattering the real women s body taking into account her shape. While designing for several companies in the Ottawa area, Micaela s mother launched the label AVENIR Designs. Micaela is now the head designer, with her designer mother, working out of AVENIR Design Studio in Almonte. Their boutique ONLY carries Canadian designers including their own AVENIR brand which can be found in many boutiques in Ottawa and Toronto. Proudly created and made in Canada. For more information: www.facebook.com/avenirdesigns1 store@avenirdesigns.ca; 613-461-0090
Emma Inns Nearly fifteen years ago, Emma s curiosity about where beautiful things come from, who makes them and what life of the artisan is like led her to travel through parts of Asia. During these travels, Emma met local artisans and fell in love with their hand-made creations. In 2005, she set up a small-scale, microfinanced program to market traditional Tibetan crafts to the tourists. Upon her return to Canada, Emma opened a stall in the Byward market selling Tibetan crafts to Ottawa locals and tourists. In September 2007, Adorit Boutique opened its doors. With this additional space, Emma expanded her collection to include more ethically made and fairly traded items from Canada and abroad. Whether you are already a valued customer or you have never been in the store, you should stop by. We re sure you will adore it! For more information, visit www.adorit.ca.
Sol Ines Peca Sol Inés Peca started making jewellery as affordable and personalized gifts for family and friends while studying at university. The positive feedback she received inspired her to develop her line of paper-based jewellery, called luca3creations. She upcycles discarded newspapers and magazines into beads, which she then integrates into original and elegant creations that add a unique touch to any style. Luca3creations designs can be purchased via her website, and at various craft markets and fairs in Montreal and Ottawa throughout the year. For more information, visit: www.luca3creations.com www.facebook.com/luca3creations
Munira Kamrijee Munira recently graduated with a Master of Architecture from Carleton University s Azrieli School of Urbanism and Architecture. She possesses a natural inclination to push herself creatively and a passion for all things design. Her entry into fashion arrives because of two reasons: her mother who is brilliant at making beautiful garments and being unable to find clothes that fit well. With these two reasons presenting both a challenge and solution, Munira is in the process of only wearing clothes that she has made for the next year. The details of her fashion adventures (and the occasional misadventures) can be found here: www.muniramakes.com
Emerging Designers with Eco Equitable Founded in 2002, EcoEquitable Inc. is a registered Canadian charity, providing temporary employment and skills development training through small-scale textile recycling. It works to provide a bridge for immigrant and underemployed women to transition to sustainable fiscal independence, while reducing harmful waste in our communities. Through its new program, Enabling Apparel Entrepreneurs EE is looking to support budding apparel entrepreneurs in Ottawa, particularly those facing barriers to setting up their own businesses. EcoEquitable s goal is to support women entrepreneurs in order that they can begin or grow their apparel businesses both physically and online. EcoEquitable s safe and inclusive atmosphere support women, particularly immigrant women, on their entrepreneurship journey and facilitate access to online resources, business supports and networks in Ottawa.
Robin Whitford Robin grew up watching her mother create beautiful things from a variety of materials from her home in rural Quebec. With her sewing machine, she created quilts and clothing. With her knitting needles she created sweaters. Naturally, Robin followed in her mother s footstep, and as early as elementary school! Having left a demanding career, Robin now dedicates her time playing with fabric. With a passion for upcycling, Robin fashions colors and patterns from discarded items to produce unique pieces. A true believer in clothing as wearable art, she seeks to share her passion with others. Where this journey in the creative world will take her is unknown, but Robin is well positioned to enjoy it!
Belkis Navas Belkis is a mother, Fashion Designer and teacher committed to sharing the enjoyment and rewards of sewing. She received her diploma in Fashion Design from Richard Robinson Fashion Design Academy. She has been sewing and designing for women and children for over 18 years and teaching for seven years. Having joined the EcoEquitable team as the Beginner Sewing Instructor in 2013, Belkis is now a full time employee, working as the primary instructor for the Sowing for Jobs program. Outside of EcoEquitable, Belkis teaches sewing to young children aged 5-9. Belkis creates wearable garments with innovative and original techniques. As an instructor, Belkis taps into her students creativity. She is committed to individual attention and clear, hands-on instruction. Belkis believes children should learn to sew by hand before they learn to use a sewing machine. Hand sewing skills develop finger dexterity and teach the values of patience, manners, creativity, completion, and how to follow rules all through the enjoyment of sewing.
About Metamorphosis Metamorphosis is an annual cycle of promotional events designed to provide budding apparel entrepreneurs among EE's community of immigrant and marginalized women the opportunities to market their products and establish a business. With business professionals volunteering their time, Metamorphosis offers entrepreneurship support in the form of mentoring, education, and access to networks, all geared toward providing participants the necessary knowledge and tools to launch successful businesses. Through strategic planning and execution of activities/programs, Metamorphosis aims to improve labour market outcomes for immigrant women, as well as serve as a model apparel-related social enterprise for participants. Metamorphosis is a key component to Eco Equitable s Enabling Apparel Entrepreneurship program.