In July IMG announced the shutdown of Toronto Fashion Week and since then attempts by several questionable fashion groups to capitalize on the absence of a flagship fashion event in Toronto has occurred.
The need to support local designers and artisans has become even more apparent for Canada's most populous and frequently hailed city. This year, The Economist ranked Toronto as the fourth most livable city in the world and the city's most prominent ambassador, Drake, consistently gives ˜The Six' shout-outs, most recently at the 2016 American Music Awards.
It is no secret that Toronto's fashion scene has lacked widespread support. However, it begs the question, what if things started differently with a focus on business first?
One unassuming place whose sees the importance of focusing on the business of fashion is Kingston, Jamaica. The vivacious city is burgeoning with creative talent and a five-year-old affair called Collection MoDA is addressing this. Collection MoDA is a week-long fashion and trade show event whose aim is to expose and engage the country's residents to support local and international design talent and artisans. During a recent trip to check out this event I spoke with several MoDA participants, from designers to a boutique owner, on their experiences and on the evolution of the style in the country.
Korto Momolu, designer
A Liberian-born and New York based designer, Korto Momolu is the runner-up from Project Runway season five. Channeling her rich heritage, Momolu uses gorgeous African fabrics and vibrant prints in her designs.
Momolu has been showing her work in Jamaica for the past five years and says the ladies here are very stylish and what I love about them is that they know what they want. You can’t sell to a Jamaican woman anything she does not want — she knows her body.
On how she adapts her creations to consider the economics of the country Momolu says People are buying now for longevity; they’re looking at their money, translating U.S. dollars to Jamaican dollars. However, if [I] can put enough of everything [into a piece] and still give it a luxurious look and feel, but keep the price low, I’ll appease concerns.
