Fashion students put designs on display at Velvet Fashion Show in Toronto
Three Fashion students made waves on the runway at the Velvet Fashion Show at Mr. Vander nightclub. The show featured three young female designers Portia Alight (Portia J. Alight), Anastassiya Gluchshenko (Different) and Sahra Davaran (Davaran Designs) based in Toronto, specializing in elevated women's wear, silk accessories, and jewellery. Live performances by Toronto artist Quincy Bullen accompanied the show put on by production company Jaime Boy Entertainment and choreographer Ern in Motion on February 23.
Anastassiya Gluchshenko dresses her model in her newest collection by her brand Different
Second-year Fashion student Portia Alight spearheaded the creative direction and planning of the show.
“After being introduced to Jaime (founder of production company Jaime Boy Entertainment) at Fashion Art Toronto's F/W 2023 season, we knew a beautiful collaboration was on hand,” said Alight. “As emerging fashion creatives with entrepreneurial spirits, we wanted to create an event that brought back timeless elegance with a modern flair to the Toronto fashion scene.”
Portia Alight's scarf designed being featured on a model at Velvet Fashion Show
Gaining industry experience
Alight selected two other up-and-coming student designers to join her in this runway opportunity: Anastassiya Gluchshenko, a women's wear designer, and jewellery designer Sahra Davaran.
“As female designers who are honouring quality and craftsmanship with classic designs and elevating them with our unique contemporary touches, it was only fitting that the Velvet Fashion Show experience was centred around the modern empowered woman,” Alight expressed. “From the designs to the thoughtful music and live performances by Quincy Bullen, the show was an homage to the strong fashionable women of Toronto.”
For Alight, participating in opportunities such as the Velvet Fashion Show helps to gain awareness of one’s work and opens up the doors to many more future connections.
“I learned immensely from this experience of being a designer in my first major fashion show as well as found a new passion in fashion events from leading the creative direction of the project,” she commented. “The process leading up to the big show day was exhilarating, stressful, exhausting, and empowering. I am very proud of what we created as a team. I will look back at the Velvet Fashion Show as an incredible reminder of how an idea can become a reality with the right team, trust, passion and effort.”
Check out Velvet Fashion Show highlights on the designer’s Instagram accounts: @portia.j.alight @sdavarandesign @different__com and @jaimeboy_ent. Designs are available on portiajalight.com (external link) *, different.fashion (external link) , and via Instagram @sdavarandesign.
*In honour of our strong mothers and those we have lost, from now until Mother's Day (May 12, 2024) Portia J. Alight will donate one silk carré for every 10 scarf sales to a mother battling cancer in collaboration with GTA-based cancer support non-profit Wellspring (external link) .
The Creative School at Toronto Metropolitan University
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