The city’s fashion bigwigs are marking October 5th on their calendars this year, the day MC College’s Fashion and Design program hosts its annual New Designers Fashion Show...

Last September the Winnipeg Art Gallery hosted a stunning show merging art, fashion and culture. ‘What to Wear this Winter’ showcased some of the most outstanding work in design coming out of Nunavut, including an array of accessories, coats and garments that were equal parts gorgeous and well-suited for the Manitoba chill. One of the designers featured on the runway was Victoria Kakuktinniq, whose intricate sealskin pieces incorporated modern fashion with aspects of traditional Inuit culture. Kakuktinniq hails from Nunavut, but she graduated from Winnipeg’s own MC College School of Fashion and Apparel Design before launching her line Victoria’s Arctic Fashion.
Fashion and Winnipeg may not be typically paired up in the same sentence, but there are certain people and institutions of the fashion industry that are actively looking to change this.
As one of Winnipeg’s foremost fashion schools, MC College is one such institution, and every year they promote their graduates and the city’s up-and-coming designers through their New Designers Fashion Show, scheduled for October 5th of this year.

“Here at MC College, we strive to promote Winnipeg as a city that has alot to offer in the fashion industry,” says Lisa Dyck, a fashion design instructor at the college. “We want to bring attention to the fashion entrepreneurs in this city, and support the local business scene that makes Winnipeg so unique.”
MC College challenges its students to think innovatively when it comes to design, and use the city’s arts and cultural landscape as inspiration for creating cutting edge fashion. Graduating from the 2016 program, Carley Wood is a promising young designer who has used Winnipeg as the chief inspiration for her final collection entitled ‘Cityscape.’


“...my pieces reflect a mix of Winnipeg’s old and new architecture,” says Wood, about her collection. “It features coats, knit wear, and crop tops...a cropped bomber and a moto jacket with a shearling lining.”

 


When asked about what has surprised her the most about the fashion program at MC College, Carley replies excitedly, “It’s so much more than just learning how to sew...you learn about the history, business, and starting your own collection....also, my peers and instructors have been 100% supportive.”
Students enrolled in the intensive 12-month fashion program are trained in the industry’s newest techniques, including merchandising, hands-on education, and real-life experience.

“There is a sentiment within Winnipeg’s fashion world that the city is underrated as a fashion mecca,” says Tiffany Wnuk, MC College’s Enrolment Coordinator. “There is so much talent in Winnipeg - it’s actually sick. Many of our students have gone on to work professionally and create their own lines in major cities.”

Victoria Kakuktinniq, who was featured in a three-page spread in Elle Canada, and won the award for ‘Business of the Year’ at the 2015 Nunavut Trade Show, is just one of many successful alumni: Dianna Miller works as a sewer for the Royal Winnipeg Ballet; Carrie Wilson is a seamstress at Stella’s Bridal; and Kirsten Diaz is a fashion market/trend analyst at Mondetta Performance Gear.

Rebecca Rae Johnson, who graduated from the program in 2015, has recently launched her own line of minimalist clothing and accessories, Rebecca Rae Designs Inc. Her line is now flourishing in California, where the products are also manufactured.
“MC College prepared me for many aspects of the fashion industry, including the skills needed to run my California clothing corporation,” says Rebecca.
“But making the move to California was bittersweet, as the Winnipeg fashion/art scene is so creatively captivating. There is a ridiculous amount of talent in Winnipeg - it is definitely a city that gets overlooked in the fashion world. I am proud of my roots and look forward to supporting the new upcoming designers as we keep Winnipeg beautiful.”

The MC College Graduate Fashion Show is a big deal in Winnipeg’s fashion world, selling out every year since it’s inception. This year’s promising young designers are showing off their fashion sensibilities and creativity on October 5th, at the Aboriginal Centre of Winnipeg at 181 Higgins Ave. Doors open at 6:30 PM, but the show begins at 7:30.
Tickets are available to purchase at the MC College Campus at 575 Wall Street.





Save