In light of the Ryerson Mass Exodus show’s cancellation due to COVID-19, two graduate student designers participated virtually in one of Toronto’s most prominent fashion events.

By, Megan Ebreo

Fashion Art Toronto is one of Toronto’s most prominent fashion-led events, typically showcased at Regent Park’s community cultural hub Daniels Spectrum. Held on Oct. 15 to 26 in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the organization opted for a virtual fashion experience for their 15th-anniversary edition entitled “We are all in this Together” a showcase reflecting on community, family, and inclusion.

Graduates of Ryerson’s fashion program were invited to participate in the event in lieu of the cancellation of the Mass Exodus, a Ryerson showcase event that celebrates and highlights fashion graduates’ achievements through the presentation of their collections.

Ryerson designers Ekaterina Soboleva and Lili Asghari accepted Fashion Art Toronto’s invitation without hesitation to showcase the final collections that they had vigorously worked on throughout the year.

For Asghari, the creative process was influenced heavily by her upbringing in England and rooted in English history. This led Asghari to learn about King Henry VIII which ultimately inspired her to choose Catherine of Aragon as the catalyst for her elegant yet gothic collection entitled Resiliencia. 

“Catherine of Aragon was the Queen of England for 20 years. She was kind and loving but also strong and powerful, I thought this was such a paradox and that it really worked together on what my brand was,” Asghari explained. Asghari also took inspiration from her mathematician father who motivated her to incorporate geometry, shapes, and sharp edges into her collection.

For Soboleva, the creative process was mainly inspired by exploring the idea of home as a feeling. Her tribalism and nomadism inspired the collection Sobolek which centers around human connection and highlighting personal experiences in relevance to identity and the future.

 “The term ‘home’ shapes and affects a person’s future and identity,” Soboleva described. Sobolek also takes inspiration from sustainability, this is reflected in Soboleva’s design process. 

“I tried to reduce my carbon footprint by using all deadstock materials from Toronto based companies for the entire collection,” she said, mentioning that she sourced her deadstock from Beaufille and The Fabric Room. The collection was further developed using a 3-D software program, 3D CLO, to focus on presentation and waste-reduction for the creation of the garment.

Like many creators, these unique processes were accompanied by challenges that led both designers to adapt. Asghari explained that her struggles included getting audiences to understand the primary subject of her collection, Catherine of Aragon. 

“A lot of people know who Henry VIII is but not a lot of people know who all of his wives were,” she further explained that communicating Catherine of Aragon’s importance while creating designs that were gothic yet contemporary was a challenge. “I wanted something that had that gothic aspect to it but you could still wear it today,” she said.

Mixing mediums like silk and leather also presented a challenge for Asghari due to the materials’ stark differences, though the combination of silk and leather for Resiliencia was necessary for Asghari’s desire to showcase the gothic element with modern and contemporary twists. 

Soboleva experienced technical challenges while learning and adapting to the use of the 3-D software programs which she was first introduced to during her exchange at Amsterdam University’s Fashion Institute in the Netherlands. 

Soboleva’s studies in the Netherlands did not teach 3-D software programming however, Soboleva noticed other fashion students experimenting with the software and decided to try herself. 

“No one could really help me and my process really relied on an intuitive level because our school has a different focus on making things. I was learning the 3-D program on my own based on YouTube videos,” she said.

For many fashion creatives, preparing for a virtual runway experience is a challenge on its own.

“It’s hard to gain inspiration to create something new when everything around you is crashing down,” said Asghari who noted that collaborating with Fashion Art Toronto for the virtual runway show came with its own complications  “We didn’t really have a lot of say in what was happening and since it was their first time doing this as well, they were also trying to figure it out as they went.”

As Ryerson’s 2021 fashion graduates’ final year nears close, students are excited to be able to present their final collections on a runway – even if it is a virtual one.  Many graduates were upset when Mass Exodus got canceled but an invitation to Fashion Art Toronto was a welcome opportunity.

“I think it’s a really unique opportunity with Fashion Art Toronto. This is a good opportunity to be showcasing our work with a partner rather than just the school,” Soboleva said.

Many of Ryerson’s fashion students are now navigating how to use their creative skills during this uncertain time and as the pandemic continues, it can only be highly anticipated to see how fashion creatives will continue to use their creativity to create meaningful pieces that inspire.