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The Fantastic Five
A handful of local fashion designers find their place on the international stage
By Lincoln Phillip
Calgary may not be on anyone’s shortlist of fashion capitals, but there are some local design talents who take their careers globally and prove that innovative talent can emerge from the most unexpected places. Evan Biddell, Haithem Elkadiki, Megan Fischer, Paul Hardy and Lara Presber are some of Western Canada’s leading designers emerging into the international fashion arena.
Evan Biddell
Resides in: Toronto, Ontario
Label: Evan Biddell
Collection available at: evanbiddell.ca
Fashion Statement: Sustainable Chic
Evan Biddell is a newbie in the fashion world, but the self-taught designer from the Prairies recently gained notoriety during the inaugural run of reality TV fashion show Project Runway Canada by gaining favour with fashion icon and supermodel Iman.
After winning the competition, Biddell’s real-world challenge was to create a fall winter 2008 collection under his own label and debut the collection during L’Oreal Toronto Fashion Week 2008. The result? Biddell wowed the press and his fans with a collection of eco-friendly dresses suitable for young fashionistas. His standout piece was a multi-layered floor-length gown made of flat knit bamboo.
“There was no such thing as elegant sustainable evening wear,” says Biddell, “so I created a product that has never been done by shredding the fabric and layering it over itself.”
Biddell’s ingenious eco-consciencness is a leading example for all designers.
He chooses many sustainable fabrics such as organic cotton, organic wool, silk and bamboo, which he sources from Syka,
a B.C.-based textiles company that offers environmentally friendly luxury fabrics.
Biddell’s natural design talents and determination to create fashion forward sustainable clothing for the Canadian
market are strong roots for a lasting career.
Haithem Elkadiki
Resides in: Calgary
Label: Kaadiki
Collection available at: Worth, 119, 1013 17 Ave. S.W., kaadiki.com
Fashion Statement: Neo Romeo
Haithem Elkadiki’s beautifully cut garments could make a grown man cry, if the man is one who loves clothes. Under his label, Kaadiki, Elkadiki focuses on mixing traditional tailoring techniques with contemporary silhouettes to create a well-proportioned, fashion-forward look.
Since debuting Kaadiki at L’Oréal Toronto Fashion Week in 2003, Elkadiki has shown a successful collection each season, and in 2005 he earned a prestigious nomination for the Fashion Expert Awards/Prix Mode X in menswear.
This past July, Elkadiki presented his spring/summer ’09 collection at Premium, an international clothing tradeshow held during Berlin Fashion Week in Germany.
“I’ve always been inspired by international cities for my designs and figure that I should step into this fashion market,” he says.
Gentlemen, get ready for the royal treatment this season as Kaadiki focuses on rich colours and textures like olive green wool with purple velvet accents, mauve shirting and houndstooth pants.
“I want men to feel confident and sexy in my clothing,” says Elkadiki. “These feelings alter our posture, attitude and outlook to the world. If we don’t feel this way when getting dressed, then we may as well wear rags.”
Megan Fischer
Resides in: Shanghai, China
Label: Matsu
Collection available at: Worth, 119, 1013 17 Ave. S.W., meganfischer.com
Fashion statement: Modern luxury
Being a tall Western foreigner in an Asian city makes shopping for something fabulous to wear challenging to say the least. So to fill this void for her fellow expats, Megan Fischer created her very successful line, Matsu. Her designs have been featured in Vogue China, FHM China and Lifestyle Beijing, and spotted on Asian celebrities, including actress Jolin Tsai.
Prior to her success in her adopted home, Fischer ignored her love of fashion to complete a business degree at McGill University in Montreal; but the buzz of fashion continuously played in her ears. She finally surrendered to its call, packed her bags and headed for New York City to study fashion design at Parson’s School of Design.
“It took me awhile to realize that I really belonged in fashion rather than business, and it would have been nice to start sooner,”
she says, but with little regret since her business degree certainly helps with managing her own label.
After living and working in the New York fashion industry for three years, Fischer moved to Shanghai in 2006. While the success of Matsu is exploding in Shanghai, Fischer plans on extending her
sphere of style influence into New York, Los Angeles and Beijing.
The line is young and progressive with the silky touch of luxury. Fischer works predominately with pure silks that are custom milled for Matsu. For Fischer, fall 2008 is the season of the silk trench coat detailed with gold zippers.
“This season was influenced by 1970s Yves Saint Laurent and the idea of quirky glamour,” she says.
Paul Hardy
Resides in: Calgary
Label: Paul Hardy
Collection available at: Paul Hardy Atelier, 4, 1126 Kensington Rd. N.W., paulhardydesign.com
Fashion Statement: Originality
Perhaps the most well-known fashion designer in town is Paul Hardy. His 2002 debut at L’Oréal Toronto Fashion Week captured
the attention of the fashion media, placing him at the centre of Canada’s fashion scene. In his six-year career, Hardy has presented his innovative collections at fashion weeks
in Toronto, L.A., New York and Paris, which has earned him an A-list roster of clients and a budding international label.
Being one of Canada’s top fashion designers is a title that came rather quickly for Hardy, but certainly one he has earned. Having no intentions of slowing down, Hardy is currently developing an innovative, sustainable and socially responsible apparel manufacturing program in Africa. Any profits from a moderately priced Hardy-designed collection will go to a private foundation for educational opportunities.
Hardy’s fall 2008 collection is elegance with quirky flamboyance created with satin and silk taffetas, feathers, jewel beading and fur. Hardy notes that the “it” item from this collection is the rose appliqué offered on skirts, tops and dresses.
Lara Presber
Resides in: Calgary
Label: Lara Presber
Collection available at: Velvet Room Boutique, 2248 West 41 Ave., Vancouver, B.C., and Twigg & Hottie, 3671 Main St., Vancouver B.C., larapresber.com
Fashion Statement: Inhabitable and wearable
Architect and fashion designer Lara Presber has yet to trade in her right angle ruler solely for a French curve. Instead, she merges the structure of architecture with the intimacy of fashion to create modern wearable creations.
A student of the world, Presber studied and practiced architecture in Boston, then took advantage of a scholarship to study fashion in Milan, where she earned a master’s degree in fashion design.
Returning home armed with her global design experiences, Presber debuted her fall ’07 collection during Downtown Calgary Fashion Week, gaining serious attention from local media and fashionistas.
Earlier this year in Toronto, Presber was one of the top four finalists to present her fall ’08 collection at Elle Canada’s Elle
Show in conjunction with Toronto Fashion Incubator (TFI) New Labels — a showcase and competition featuring Canada’s
emerging fashion designers.
Presber’s fall ’08 collection is inspired by the paintings of Art Deco artist Tamara de Lempika and her expressions of femininity versus the urban landscape.
“My signature piece this season is a bronzed black dress with creased customizable short sleeves and contrasting pleated skirt panels,” she says. Presber’s fabrics, sourced from Europe, are made with a variety of metal blended fabrics, pure wools, silks and blue jacquard for a punch of colour.
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