Toronto’s fashion week is becoming fashion month this year, thanks to the 20th anniversary celebrations of the city’s longest running fashion week. Taking over the city with a series of innovative and stylish events, Fashion Art Toronto (FAT) is transforming T.O. into a super chic wonderland all month long.
The event’s traditional four-day fashion week will happen at the end of the month, running from May 29-31 for the second time in FAT’s new event space, a sunny, sky-high venue at T3 Bayside.
But before the big event, the organization has put together an entire lineup of activities, beginning with The Artist Project from May 8-11, a runway and pop-up shop that appears to be taking place at Exhibition Place.
On May 23, an FAT Summer Opening Party will take over the Bentway — and the trail under the highway will make for the perfect runway.
On May 24, the Distillery District will become a fashion playground with the official fashion week opening party and a Retrospective Runway. And, at a time when supporting local is more important than ever, there will be an entire Shop Canadian event from May 25-28, featuring local retail activations and fashion week shopping exclusives.
Also on the schedule is a “top secret” runway location on May 16, which will be revealed closer to the date.
Emerging as a scrappier alternative to the now-defunct Toronto Fashion Week in 2005, Fashion Art Toronto has grown in popularity over the years with founder Vanja Vasic at the helm. A multi-disciplinary fashion event that has put an emphasis on highlighting emerging designers and artists of all forms from the beginning, FAT has always included a mix of exhibitions, installations, performances and even panel discussions alongside runway shows. Attendees can expect to see avant-garde fashion creations unlike anything else on the runways of major fashion stages right now — and, in a similar way, event goers take risks with their outfits in a way that sets the FAT crowd apart from any other runway front row.
Designers and other programming have yet to be announced for fashion month yet, but FAT will be announcing more on their Instagram and website in the coming days.
