TFS Students aim to win Project Creativ Catwalk Competition for Sixth Year
Project Creativ Catwalk is an intense competition where students from top design schools are give the challenge of designing and creating an award winning outfit in just three days.
This high energy contest is part of the annual Creativ Festival and students from the Fashion Design Diploma program, now offered through the Toronto Film School, have won the competition the past five out of six years.
Keith Richardson, an instructor with the Fashion Design Diploma program at Toronto Film School, said he is optimistic for a repeat win this year.
“Our quality is impeccable and it really stands out when it gets to the runway,” explained Richardson. “I just think that is due to the nature of our program and that we use industry professionals as instructors.”
Creativ Festival is Canada’s largest “do-it-yourself” consumer show dedicated to the creative arts of sewing, knitting, beading, spinning, weaving, felting, quilting, crocheting, stitching, scrapbooking, crafting and other fiber, textile, needle and paper arts.
It takes place over five days with conferences and classes on Oct. 22 and 23, and then the Creativ Festival that fills the south building of the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, in downtown Toronto, Oct. 24 to 26.
Creativ Festival holds the Project Creativ Catwalk where top fashion design schools, including the Toronto Film School, compete over the three days to create the best outfit in a given theme.
“It is very exciting, especially at the last minute when you get to see all the work,” Richardson said.
Teams of three are handed their “challenge” or theme at 11 a.m. on Friday and given $200 to shop the exhibition to purchase the wears needed to create their design. All work is performed in the show floor studios with the clock stopping at 3 p.m. on Sunday, no exceptions. Then on Sunday, each school’s design hit the Fashion Runway to compete for $20,000 in prizes.
“And because we are competing against all the other schools they also win bragging rights,” Richardson said. “It’s a real ego boost for them and they can put it in their portfolios and resumes that they were on the winning team.”
New this year, students have a chance to also take home one of three $1000 scholarships The winners will be decided on an individual basis that will be determined through an application process.
This year the Toronto Film School team is made up of students Sandra Al Dabbagh, Habib Teimuri and Wesley Tang. Richardson said he selects students for the team who he knows to be strong in meeting deadlines as well as in design and construction.
Last year’s winning team was Natalie Kushnir, Patrick Salonga and Sel Unson who were tasked with creating an ensemble that can transition from snow to sun and that made the flawless shift from Canadian chill to Caribbean cool.
Richardson encourages other students from Toronto Film School to attend Creativ Festival to cheer their peers on.
To learn more about the Toronto Film School (formerly the Academy of Design) Fashion Design program click here.
