Toronto's Affordable Fashion Design Industry

Two major retailers in Toronto are bringing high fashion to the discount racks, in a fashion design "war" where consumers are the victors. Once again, Toronto has let is fashion colors fly high, fueling the careers of fashion designers off (far off) the runway.

Fashion Feud in Toronto

At Wal-Mart, the fashion line George is the feature. Hailing from a British fashion house, George is all about being dressy without going broke. (George is Wal-Mart's answer to Target's Isaac Mizrahi). In a brilliant display of fashion marketing, these designers have chosen to grace the public, not just the pages of fashion magazines, with their designs.
And at Loblaws there is Joe Fresh, the fashion line of Joseph Mimran, whose designs at Club Monaco have fashioned a great resume. Canada's retail clothing market is worth over $18 billion, and the positioning of these two fashion designers against each other has sparked interest in the booming apparel industry.

A Great City for Fashion

While budget designer clothing is not Toronto-specific, this Canadian fashion outpost is unique for its all-out support of fashion design. Fashion students, graduates, and designers have found that a career in fashion design is not so impossible in a city like Toronto, where a growing garment district, the presence of great fashion design schools, and a booming retail industry all eagerly await new fashion ideas.

Fashion For Everyone

The lesson to be learned from this "feud" is that couture isn't all that counts in fashion design. Careers in fashion design can be made from designing smart, affordable clothing for the masses. Or both! Some very successful careers in fashion design have been--well, fashioned--from bridging this very important gap.
Source
The Toronto Star

Joe Cooper is a freelance education and technology writer and edits medical literature. He holds a bachelor's in American Literature from UCLA.