Andy Thê-Anh (2006) | Arthur Mendonça (2005) | Izzy Camilleri (2004)
Mackage (2004) | Paul Hardy (2004) | Ghetto Panda (2004)
Tavan & Mitto (2003) | Renata Morales (2003) | Pat McDonagh (2002)
Marie Saint-Pierre (2001) | Stephan Caras (2000) | Ross Mayer (2000)
Marisa Minicucci (1999) | Jean-François Morissette (1999)

Mackage is a Quebec success story. Elisa Dahan and Eran Elfassy are the design duo behind Mackage. Both designers graduated from La Salle College in Montreal.

Mackage has no age. It is made for the fashion-forward petite woman. This line is well known to fashionistas in Canada and the US for its strong silhouettes, sexy, sleek lines and wonderfully cut leathers. Having begun as a leather collection, the Mackage line has evolved into a complete outerwear collection, its strength lying in wool jackets with leather detailing. The leather trimmings found on all Mackage garments has become their trademark. The Mackage team demonstrates an intuitive yet studied knowledge of tailoring, resulting in pure lines that fall beautifully on the body.

The American market continues to recognize their talent and sense of style. The United States is becoming a very important and growing market for the design team, while the Japanese market has also begun to show a strong appreciation for this beautifully fitted line.

Mackage is found in department stores such as Sak’s Fifth Avenue, Bloomingdale’s and Henri Bendel and in boutiques like Aritzia, Atrium and Big Drop. This season, Mackage coats have been all the rage with Hollywood’s finest fashion mavens; Oscar-winner Halle Berry wore a Mackage canvas coat for her interview on MTV, for X Men 2, and chose jackets tailor-made by Mackage to wear in “Gothika”, recently shot in Montreal. Andie McDowell also requested private fittings at the Montreal showroom to add Mackage pieces to her wardrobe. Catherine Zeta-Jones was the latest celebrity to sport Mackage goods for her Elizabeth Arden commercial, also shot in Mackage’s hometown.

After graduating from Ryerson Polytechnic in Toronto in 1997, Winnipeg-born Paul Hardy collected a series of fashion industry awards for his excellent work. After living and studying in London, Toronto and New York, he surrounded himself with high-end fashions as a personal shopper for Holt Renfrew, the prestigious Canadian retailer that now carries his designs.

His debut collection for spring 2003 in Toronto caused a sensation that carried over into his collection at L.A. fashion week for Fall 2004. His anticipated New York collection for Spring/Summer 2004 positions Hardy as the first Canadian designer to show at New York Fashion Week. Deirdre Kelly of the Globe and Mail witnessed Hardy’s debut and described it as “…the Second Coming…you heard the sound of jaws dropping, as those watching felt that yes, there was something magnificent emerging from the wilderness. A star was born.”

As one of the freshest examples of raw, yet refined talent to come out of the fashion industry “north of the border”, Hardy’s meticulously crafted and intelligently designed clothing is reminiscent of the Belgium design movement and LA design sensation Rick Owens - suffused with Hardy’s signature of textured layering. As Minimidimaxi Magazine stated of Paul Hardy; “His moody interpretations are an indication that we can look forward to a meaningfully edgy landscape in the near future. One where the only obstructions to new silhouettes are the limits of the imagination.” Paul Hardy continues to push cultural norms as his designs impact the world of high fashion.

Born and bred in New York City, Christopher Estridge began exhibiting his work in the early 1970’s and had his first solo show in 1975. Since then, he has been a permanent fixture in the art scene, showing in many cities including New York, Los Angeles, Palm Springs, South Beach, and Toronto. Over the years, Estridge has exhibited a large body of work using various materials and techniques. Most recently, his creative focus has been on painting. During the last decade, Estridge’s signature style has been characterized by his strong abstract compositions, which are supported by his bold use of intense and dynamic colors.

Estridge’s bold, exciting use of color is a reflection and extension of his vibrant personality. His new collection is exposed exclusively at the Trias Gallery in Toronto. In 2001, Estridge paired with emerging musical force Bryan Van Dusen to form a new company called Ghetto Panda. Their first collaboration was to produce an album showcasing Van Dusen’s lyrical and musical talent as a rapper, with Estridge acting as executive producer. From this successful first musical endeavor, this Ghetto Panda phenomenon has evolved to combine and nurture the design concepts and theories of yesterday, today and tomorrow creating a new global aesthetic. Ghetto Panda brings together the synergy of youth and experience by melding concepts in the fields of fashion, home design, toys, publishing, music, art and entertainment.

Ghetto Panda’s Van Dusen has written a special song “Fur Sure” for the Fur Council’s Design Network fashion show at Toronto Fashion Week, to accompany Ghetto Panda’s new urban fur menswear line for the Design Network Program.