Born in Italy and raised in Argentina, Ines Di Santo moved to Canada in the mid-1970s after studying fine art and design in Buenos Aires. Twenty-two and pregnant with her daughter, Veronica, she had hopes of becoming a fashion designer. When a friend discovered a discarded vintage Singer sewing machine in the trash, Ines seized the opportunity to launch a clothing business.
“The machine for me was a treasure,” said Ines. The designer rehabilitated the Singer and sourced rolls of leftover fabric on College Street in Toronto, using them to make samples. Then she started selling dress patterns of her own designs.
Ines Di Santo’s first sewing machine is displayed in their workshop in Vaughan.
Ines founded her eponymous evening wear label in 1984 and transitioned to bridal in 1998, though she has designed wedding dresses throughout her career.
Ines was drawn to wedding gowns because she loved the idea that she was helping to create a beautiful, special moment for brides.
“They will remember the wedding, and there is the history and the pictures there,” she said. “We love to make people happy. We love to make dreams come true.”
Today, Ines Di Santo’s designs are shown at Bridal Fashion Week in New York and Barcelona and coveted by brides around the world. The brand’s evening wear has been worn on the red carpet by such celebrities as Angela Bassett, Taylor Hill and Carrie Underwood.
The label is also a family affair. Veronica Di Santo officially joined the business in 2000 and is currently the company’s managing partner, although it feels to both mother and daughter as though she has always been a part of it.
Veronica spent hours at the studio after school as a child, made craft jewellery for clients as a teenager and helped with sales appointments as she got older. “My early beginnings were always at the business,” she said. “The hum of the [sewing] machine would help me to sleep.”
With Veronica on board, the brand expanded into the U.S. market and opened a New York office nine years ago. But most rewarding for the tight-knit mother-daughter pair has been the opportunity to work together as they grow the business.
“It’s been over 30 years now that we’ve been at this together, and every decade has brought its own set of challenges, but also there’s been so much to celebrate and be proud of,” said Veronica. She added that she’s happy to work alongside someone in whom she has complete faith and who has incredible talent.
It helps that their roles are clearly demarcated, too, with Ines leading design and Veronica overseeing the business side of the company.
“A lot of people say, ‘Is it difficult to work with your mom?’ And actually it’s not,” said Veronica. “We’re aligned in so many ways, so there’s less of a frustration there and more of an appreciation of this shared vision.”
The Ines Di Santo bride, according to Veronica, is aware of fashion trends and willing to invest in quality fabrics and construction. “It’s not fast fashion, and there’s a sophistication with this bride,” said Veronica, adding that she’s also feminine and romantic.
Ines also strives to set trends with her line. “All the time we try to be different because we are the leaders,” she said. The label’s latest collection, for spring 2027, plays with structure and volume, and features textured, hammered satins along with light and airy pleated fabrics. There are also structured corsets with lace and boning, as well as floral details and embroidery.
Dresses from the main line, which range in price from $7,000 to $25,000, are designed and made just north of Toronto, at the company’s 10,000-square-foot facility in Vaughan. There, around 50 employees work across design, pattern-making, lace preparation and production. They have occupied the same space for nearly four decades. “I’ve had employees with me for the longest time, and that makes me happy,” Ines said.
And despite the current economic climate and production challenges facing many fashion companies, this Canadian bridal brand remains in growth mode.
“We’re thankful that it continues to work,” said Veronica. “We’ve been able to continue to sell to our American counterparts and they’ve been one of our best customers, but we continue to be global.”
An economically more accessible line rolled out this spring, named V by Veronica Di Santo.
The brand is available in the U.S., Asia, the Middle East, Europe and Australia. In Canada, the Ines Di Santo Couture Bridal Collection is carried at Blush and Raven in Calgary, Bisou Bridal in Vancouver and the label’s Toronto flagship in Yorkville, which is currently undergoing a renovation.
Last August, Ines Di Santo introduced the once-a-year Heritage Collection, which offers a selection of iconic styles from the archives. “Her designs are timeless, so it was an opportunity to bring back all of those wonderful pieces that Ines designed and that continue to be really, really special,” said Veronica. The Valentina and Fatima gowns, both strapless styles with dramatic trains, are bestsellers from the collection’s first iteration.
This spring, the company also rebranded its nine-year-old diffusion line. The new V by Veronica Di Santo offering is more accessible – dresses are priced from around $5,000 to $9,500 – and has a youthful, trend-driven point of view.
“The V collection is young – she’s the more spirited younger sister who’s unapologetic and can get away with everything,” said Veronica. “I’m very excited about being able to offer this to Canadian brides in a time when a lot of people are wanting to buy Canadian.”