Aspiring St. Clair College Fashion Designers Showcase Their Work

The St. Clair College Atelier 2022 Fashion Show was held April 23 at the College’s South Campus. The sold-out show featured the collections of the 2022 graduating class of student designers.

This semester was shortened to 14 weeks, instead of 15. For the first two weeks, the students studied online due to lockdowns in January and a third week had to also be done online later in the semester. “
So, this group of students worked in person for only 11 weeks and they were still able to complete a full collection of work,” says program coordinator Elaine Chatwood. “I am so proud of them.”

Brendan Riley placed first for his collection of designs that are inspired by the Indigenous perspective. His mixed background of Anishinaabe (Ojibwa) and Celtic heritage influences his methods and inspires him to create meaningful and beautiful things to be worn. As a classically trained and certified goldsmith/silversmith he is no stranger to the adornment arts and is looking forward to making fine garments to complement his fine jewellery.

Megan Rennie received second place for her collection, using 100 per cent of upcycled material, old clothing fabric and old blankets. She even dyed her puffer jacket with walnuts and then waterproofed it with beeswax, reusing the stuffing from a quilt to line the jacket.

Cynthia Okpala placed third for a collection that is a reflection of her background. Born and raised in Nigeria, Cynthia moved to Canada at 16 to further her education. Growing up in a country like Nigeria, where tailored garments are very common, was where her love, and admiration for fashion originated.