FashionTalks

When Meghan Markle visited Australia in 2018 she wore a pair of skinny, black jeans by Outland Denim. This resulted in the company growing to employ dozens of new employees at their production house. James Bartle, founder and CEO has an incredible mission: to provide careers for women who've been exposed to sex trafficking in Asia and to support their well being through fair wages, training and pe...

Tiffany Pratt's infectious energy and immense talent have made her a sought after interior designer and DIY expert in media for almost a decade. Known as the "Queen of Colour" she has a standout style (no doubt rooted in her early days in fashion) that is all her own. Tiffany shares how fashion is a constant part of her world whether she is hosting  a show on HGTV (currently Home to Win), wor...

Sarah Jay is an international leader in the intersection of sustainability, fashion and beauty. Combining her extensive career in fashion media and styling with a passion for the planet, Sarah has pushed creative boundaries and awareness through the award winning documentary Toxic Beauty to associate producer of The Green Shows in NYC to guest editing FASHION Magazine.

Julia Grieve is a trail blazer. Her label, Preloved, was part of the sustainable fashion movement before there was such a thing. Julia, ever unguarded and hilarious, opens up about the struggles of retail, life after a fire (for the brand not her personally), the fashion industry and how it launched her as Canada's Accidental Environmentalist.

As a best selling author, interior designer, public speaker and mother of 7 Lisa Canning knows a thing or 2 about what it takes to achieve the things you want in life. Listen as she shares how fashion plays an important role, what she learnt from working on HGTV and stories from the trenches as a mom of 7 kids under 10.

Mina Gerges is changing the face of fashion. As the first Middle Eastern, Queer model he is the face of Sephora and Calvin Klein campaigns. Mina’s road has not been easy. Here he speaks about the importance of having more variety of male models and being true to yourself…

Jeanne Beker is a fashion and media icon. For many, Saturdays at 630PM were sacred as Fashion Television aired, showing for the first time behind the scenes at fashion weeks around the world. From McQueen to Lagerfeld to Karen to Jacobs to Gaultier - Jeanne has seen it all, but the road was not always easy. Listen as Jeanne shares intimate stories, milestone moments and speaks incredibly candidly...

In 2019, Najwa Zebian, best selling author and activist, made the decision to stop wearing the hijab. The reaction was swift and varied. Najwa shares her story of the relationship between fashion and culture and her passion for personal choice over doctrine.

Ron White went from aspiring to be a fashion buyer to creating a global brand that changed the designer shoe industry. In this episode Ron shares funny and candid stories of his childhood, his first fashion job, the early day of Ron White Shoes and the surprise decisions that have made the biggest impact on his business. It is no wonder he is known as Canada's "Shoeru."

How do you take a 50 year old, beloved brand and make it young again? Michel Lepage, retail and marketing expert and co- Chief Creative Officer of Kanuk discusses the art of reenergizing a heritage brand. Kanuk is an independent Canadian outerwear company. Kanuk has designed and crafted outerwear from a small factory in the heart of Montréal for close to 50 years. Our designs are born of our envir...

Kimberly Newport Mimran, founder and Design Director of the global fashion label Pink Tartan. In a personal and entertaining conversation, Kimberly shares stories of her childhood and what fashion meant to her through the years, her foray into fashion retail, the difference between product developer and designer and surprising anecdotes of life in the fashion industry.

Gigi Gorgeous is a Canadian activist, personality, speaker and socialite. Gigi began uploading videos to her Youtube channel in 2008. Since then she has become an inspiration to millions as she candidly shares her story as a transgender woman. Her joys, her struggles, her thoughts on a multitude of issues. Gigi was in Toronto for the photo exhibition Xposed, Gigi Gorgeous: An Icon in the Making, p...

Pauline Trigere launched her namesake label in New York City in the 1940s. A single mother, immigrant and female entrepreneur she was ahead of her time. With Trigere, she dressed some of the most famous celebrities of the day from Lena Horne to Lauren Bacall to Estee Lauder. Now, this heritage brand is in the hands of Franklin Benjamin Elman. Born in Montreal, Canada Franklin has a design career t...

Rosa Halpern has garnered international praise and celebrity fans for her custom leather jackets by her label The Namesake. Rosa shares stories from her early days interning for some of American's most notable designers, how she got started designing jackets (it was bit of a fluke!) and reflects on the power of customizing clothing.

Join Donna Bishop in an intimate discussion with global Dior Historian Dr Alexandra Palmer as they discuss the impact this iconic designer has had on fashion, culture and the French economy.

David Dixon's latest collection Bubl has a unique inspiration designed to use the language of fashion to provoke important conversations.

Shayne Stephens has worn a lot of hats: from hockey player in Winnipeg, Manitoba to music writer to marketing maven to leading the opening of Saks Fifth Avenue in Canada.

Paul Mason had been working as a fashion model in the United States and Europe when he returned to Toronto. This fateful return to his hometown would mark the beginning of a number of life and professional changes and developments; perhaps most notably his persona as Fashion Santa...

After volunteering at Toronto Fashion Week for four seasons, the backstage rush and outrageous industry rumours stuck with me. I knew I had an irresistible backstage story and had to write Military Chic. Everyone asks if any of the characters are real...

In Conversation with Fashion Activist Elizabeth Peyton-Jones, founder of the Responsible Trust for Models, an international organization dedicated to revolutionizing the model industry.

The power and process of Costume Design for film and TV does far more than cloth the actors. It gives clues about character, informs the story, involves couture design and so much more. In conversation with 3 leading Costume Designers, Alex Kavanagh, Christine Toye and Leslie Kavanagh, share details of their process, on set stories and examples of when design is not just about clothing.

Do fashion exhibitions belong within museums? Dr Alexandra Palmer, who oversees the third largest fashion and textile collection in world, discusses the relevancy and importance of fashion in cultural institutions. As a global authority on Christian Dior and curator of ground-breaking exhibits she is critical voice within the fashion industry.

In conversation with Canadian fashion model Kim Cloutier, and resident style experts including celebrity stylist Joe Zee and ELLE Canada’s Editor-in-Chief, Vanessa Craft, cast of the new design competition series STITCHED. Live from Toronto Fashion week they discuss how media is democratizing fashion, personal career stories and behind the scenes tidbits from this new series.

The relationship between fashion and the LGBTQplus community has a long history; from coded dressing in the 1800s to increasing gender fluidity with dressing to the AIDS crisis to the immense impact of M.A.C and Fashion Cares. Phillip Ing, now a special consultant to M.A.C Cosmetics after years as an executive, as well as the producer and artistic director of the immensely successful AIDS fundrais...

The fashion industry is often one to lead cultural change. The issue of diversity in the industry as it relates to race, body and gender is a hot topic and Sage Paul, Haley Elsaesser and Adrienne Wu are leaders in the industry and activism inclusivity. This episode of Fashion Talks was recorded in front of a live audience as part of the Urbani_T festival in Toronto, ON.