This year, TFW is pleased to be partnering with Toronto-based agency THE COLLECTIONS. We caught up with Dwayne Kennedy, Mel Ashcroft and Brian A. Richards—the power trio behind THE COLLECTIONS — to get the deets on what we can expect on the runway this season.
What is the COLLECTIONS?
Dwayne: “THE COLLECTIONS is a designer management and creative production agency. We work year round with designers and offer services from styling to production to sales to basically anything that elevates the brand at home and internationally. “
Why did the COLLECTIONS partner with TFW? Can you tell us a bit about the RE\SET platform, which is now a part of TFW?
Mel: “The COLLECTIONS and Toronto Fashion Week partnership is a natural fit. With our RE\SET platform, we see this as an unparalleled opportunity for designers to show their collections in Yorkville Village.”
Brian: “RE\SET is our contemporary take on Toronto Fashion and Toronto Fashion Events.
RE\SET is a platform we created which is a take on the presentation format.”
Dwayne: “With RE\SET we offer traditional runway shows but work with other varieties and new formats—last season we did the first VR show! We try to experiment to give designers new opportunities to show off their brands.”
What do you look for in emerging designers?
Brian: “I look for a combination of characteristics. They have to have the skill-set to tailor, cut, design—that helps. They need to have focused inspiration and an original aesthetic, something we haven’t seen before, and then a strategy—a viable strategy of how to grow their business. When a designer has a clear focus from the get-go, that certainly excites us.”
Mel: “I look for consistency. Fashion isn’t just a bi-annual event, it’s about fashion everyday, producing collections regularly and understanding your audience. Consistently trying to grow and develop as a designer.”
What does it mean to you to be such a big part of TFW?
Dwayne: “Since we started THE COLLECTIONS, we’ve really just wanted to give Canadian designers a voice.”
Brian: “I like to think of ourselves as ambassadors for Canadian Fashion.”
Mel: “It’s incredibly inspiring to be a part of Toronto Fashion Week and the new vision that it has. With our model RE\SET, the possibilities are endless. There’s openness to collaborate and I’m excited for the future.”
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Photo/video by @michaelwilliamsphoto