Trends come and go in the world of fashion, and in the city of Ottawa fashion weeks seem to be on the way out. Last year, the city held two successful fashion weeks. This year, both have been cancelled.
Ottawa Fashion Week will not be taking place this year, even though last year’s event was hailed as a tremendous success. More than 2,000 tickets were sold, 14 designers showcased their best work and the public was able to purchase exclusive designer pieces says Hussein Rashid, an organizer from Ottawa Fashion Week.
Rashid says the show was cancelled because a new business plan needed to be established and restructuring needed to occur.
It all comes down to participation, which Rashid says is the initial aim. “We want meet not only the clients we have but the clients we could have that’s our goal.”
Although Ottawa may not be a fashion mecca, the local fashion scene is experiencing significant growth as more people look to independent designers and boutiques for their clothing purchases. Setbacks such as the cancellation of Ottawa Fashion Week and Capital Fashion Week are only minor obstacles.
“There is a drastic difference from seven years ago,” says fashion enthusiast Rania Abdulla. “It’s not a coincidence that Project Runway [the television contest aired by Bravo] chose to shoot here. They saw the potential.”
With the runways left empty this season, Abdulla took it upon herself to organize Fashion Cures à la Mode, a new fashion week with the goal to raise money for ovarian cancer.
“I did my research and saw there was nothing going on, but we definitely needed something,” Abdulla said. “If Ottawa Fashion Week is going to take place in the future, maybe we can join forces and make one big show.”
Independent boutiques that promote local talent are one way of helping turn Ottawa into a fashion city.
“We used to be a city of malls,” said Bridget Remai, co-owner of Workshop Boutique at 242 Dalhousie St. “There were very few places to buy independent, to buy local and to buy different, it’s like a grassroots movement and fashion week really promoted that, its part of the surge of people who want something beautiful and unique.”
Her store is separated into two; one half sells wares of local Ottawa designers and the other half Canadian brands.
“If people wear locally produced items, it’s the easiest way to promote designers,” says Remai.
Ottawa Fashion Week was a great opportunity to showcase local talent and promote designers such as Stacey Bafi-Yeboa, who is the designer behind the line Kania. For this Ottawa native, the Ottawa Fashion Week event wasn’t around long enough to leave a lasting impact.
“I don’t think it really raised my business, it just affects awareness. I get to touch more people, have more people be exposed to my line but not having Ottawa Fashion Week won’t affect my business or sales.”
The fashion scene in Ottawa is on the rise and being the capital city gives us a unique advantage, Abdulla says. And fashion isn’t only aimed at the younger generations here. “There is a market that designers can cater to here, minister’s wives and ambassador’s wives.”