Fashion Design Instructor Susan Langdon Named Member of the Order of Canada
Toronto Film School’s Susan Keiko Langdon was recently bestowed one of the country’s highest civilian honours.
Named a member of the Order of Canada by Governor General Julie Payette on Dec. 30, 2020, Langdon was recognized for her “contributions to the fashion industry as an executive, mentor and educator who has positively impacted Canada’s culture and economy.”
“My mother told me about the Order of Canada when I was a kid, and I could just see the pride in her eyes as she was telling me about the amazing new honour Canada had created,” Langdon said in a recent interview with Fashion magazine.
“In the back of my mind, I always thought what an honour that would be to make my mother so proud of me.”
Langdon has served on Toronto Film School’s Fashion Design Program Advisory board for more than 20 years and currently teaches The Business of Fashion.
A Toronto-born, third-generation Canadian, Langdon has acted as the Executive Director of the award-winning non-profit organization, the Toronto Fashion Incubator (TFI) – the world’s first fashion incubator – since 1994.
For more than a quarter century, Langdon has served as an enthusiastic, dedicated and tireless promoter of the Canadian fashion industry known for her inspirational leadership and her ability to foster talent and innovation.
“Without government funding for fashion entrepreneurs, Langdon’s selfless devotion to supporting and promoting fashion entrepreneurs has not only brought distinction to Canada’s fashion design industry, but also to the world,” Magnet Creative Management said in a statement.
Langdon has mentored and guided businesses such as Line the Label (now famous for dressing Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex), internationally renowned Sid Neiguim, long-celebrated designer labels such as David Dixon, Joeffer Caoc, Foxy Originals, and Jenny Bird, and newcomers including Indigenous designer Lesley Hampton.
“I believe in Canadian fashion,” Langdon told Fashion reporter Victoria DiPlacido.
“I buy it and I pay full price for it. I tell people that if it’s made-in-Canada, it’s ethically made and high-quality. The designs are world caliber.”
Throughout a fulfilling career spanning several decades, Langdon has received numerous accolades for her achievements – including the Fashion Canada Award, Concours Design Award, City of Toronto Industry Achievement Award, Ryerson Alumni Award of Distinction, International Woolmark Award of Distinction, The JoAnna Townsend International Trade Award, Icons of Empowerment Award, and Fashion Group International’s Fashion Visionary Award.
