TORONTO, Oct. 17, 2022 /CNW/ – Amazon Canada today announced the return of the Amazon Designer Spotlight, an exclusive online fashion series celebrating six Canadian designers, hosted by celebrity stylist Brad Goreski. The series takes Amazon.ca customers alongside Goreski as he unveils each designer’s personal and professional story in two-minute shorts dropping every day on the Amazon Canada Instagram channel (@amazonca). The first video drops today at 9 a.m. ET / 6 a.m. PT, with the final video premiering on Saturday, October 22. All six designer collections are also available now for customers to shop and discover at amazon.ca/DesignerSpotlight.
Enlisting the help of their friends and neighbours, collections in each video are worn by influencers that are unique to each designer’s brand, connecting creatives in communities across the country. Designers also share in the videos how they are choosing to pay it forward to Canada’s fashion community through their Amazon-powered $25,000 give-back-grant.
The six Canadian designers and the recipients of each $25,000 grant are detailed below.
- L’Uomo Strano creates affirming wardrobes for gender-nonconforming people and their allies. Designed by Mic. Carter [they/them] in Toronto, the brand is invested in how clothing can foster self-expression and a sense of community. Carter has shared their grant with the fashion department at Toronto Metropolitan University, offering education in communication, design, textile and material practices, and design leadership.
- Hilary MacMillan is a fashion-first lifestyle brand, rooted in making a statement with size inclusive clothing and building women up. Designer and brand owner, Hilary MacMillan [she/her], pulls inspiration from her Scottish heritage, love of art, Canadian landscapes and design decades throughout history. Blanche MacDonald Centre is a worldwide recognized fashion, design, and beauty school in Vancouver, and the recipient of MacMillan’s grant.
- Entin Gartini is an Indonesian brand based in Montreal that uses one-of-a-kind handmade batik designs created by Entin Gartini [she/her]. Gartini selected Dress for Success Montreal as the recipient of the grant. The non-profit provides professional attire and development tools to women so they can gain economic independence.
- Valmora is a contemporary brand born out of Montreal. Matteo Valmora [they/them] is the Founder and Designer and strives to dismantle binary conceptions of menswear by inspiring men to seek non-gender conforming fashion.
- Hunter & Trove is a jewellery brand based in Vancouver, founded and designed by Yulee Harris [she/her]. Harris loves to create beautiful pieces that spark joy and create memories. Hitting close to home, Harris has selected the Jewellery Art and Design program at Vancouver Community College that educates students on the design, fabrication, and history of jewellery, as a recipient of the grant.
- Mobilize Waskawewin is an Indigenous-owned streetwear brand based in Edmonton. Designer Dusty LeGrande [he/him] aims to bring representation for Indigenous peoples and strives to empower, educate and help others find identity. Mobilize Waskawewin is “street wear wit a cree flair.” The grant will be shared with The Next Gen Scholarship – a resource allowing for authentic sharing of knowledge, business, design, and art practices to break barriers by supporting the next generation of designers.
“At Amazon, we are committed to fueling Canada’s fashion industry by giving locally-loved products a nationally accessible platform that helps them thrive,” said Vickie Gu, Head of Amazon Fashion in Canada. “Canadians rally around supporting small; this video series brings a sense of community to shopping from home by helping consumers feel connected to what they are wearing, and who they are supporting through these purchases.”
The Amazon Designer Spotlight is one of the many ways that Amazon continues to support and empower brand owners in Canada. Since 2003, Amazon.ca has made virtual shelf space available to Canada-based third-party sellers, many which are small- and medium-sized businesses. To learn more about how Amazon works with business owners across Canada, click here to read the Amazon Canada Small Business Empowerment Report, released today. And to learn more about the Amazon Designer Spotlight, and to shop collections from the creators featured, visit amazon.ca/DesignerSpotlight. Follow the conversation online using #AmazonDesignerSpotlight to stay up to date on all things related to the series.
About Amazon
Amazon is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Amazon strives to be Earth’s Most Customer-Centric Company, Earth’s Best Employer, and Earth’s Safest Place to Work. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Career Choice, Fire tablets, Fire TV, Amazon Echo, Alexa, Just Walk Out technology, Amazon Studios, and The Climate Pledge are some of the things pioneered by Amazon. For more information, visit amazon.com/about and follow @AmazonNews.
SOURCE Amazon Canada
For further information: please contact [email protected]
