CREDIT: STEPHANIE LAI
Fashion Design graduating student Kali Samlal works on a top that she will present at the Unbound fashion show on April 12.

Fanshawe College's Fashion Design graduating students will be showcasing their five-look collections on the runway at the program's annual Unbound fashion show, taking place at Museum London on April 12.

“It's a really big event,” said graduating student, Megan Smith. “It targets the Toronto fashion industry and a lot of them come out to see it.”

Each student will undergo judging by industry bigwigs Franco Mirabelli, Susan Langdon and Gail McInnes, which will affect final grades.

Under the mentorship of acclaimed designer, David Dixon, the students were able to pick his brain while finishing their collections.

“He's a central Canadian fashion designer,” explained fellow student, Monica Nealis. “This is the first year we've had his mentorship; we've really taken advantage of that and it's been great.”

“It's a very rare opportunity for any school to work so closely with such a prominent figure within fashion. We really enjoyed that part of it.”

Dixon's involvement with the graduating class garners much appreciation because of his current status in Canadian fashion.

“He's still doing his own collections,” said Nealis. “The customer that we target for these collections is very similar to his, so we really get that insight to what a woman from 30 to 60 would look for in garments on a higher-end scale. It's invaluable.”

This being the final semester, Smith said it came with some challenges.

“Getting into the flow of the semester [was tough],” she said. “Every semester you do it with a group of students and you have a design team, whereas this [semester] was fully on your own.”

“If you didn't do it, it was on you, so you always have to be there for the whole day. Everything that they ask of you; you complete it in the time that's required.”

But all this is in preparation for the real world.

“I would say they over-prepare us,” said Nealis. “Our instructors are so passionate about making sure that once we get into the industry we're prepared. It's a hard one to break into.”

Nealis explained the meaning behind the show name “Unbound.”

“I think it's to show that perspective that we're really limitless in what we're trying to do,” she said. “Whatever you can imagine that you want to dress your woman in; you can make it.”

So be prepared to see ready-to-wear garb on the runway.

“We always have to think about our end customer [and] their ability to wear it,” said Nealis. “We make it, but we also have to make it to a standard where we could send it to factory tomorrow and it could be reproduced.”

Proceeds from the show will benefit the next graduating class.

“This is our showcase so we always try to make sure we set up the legacy for the next year so we can keep going,” said Nealis. “Each year can have their show and the ability to showcase to the industry what we know.”

Smith is particularly excited and has been looking forward to “show day” for the past two years.

“Every day since first year, they've been drilling it into us, ‘Unbound is coming. Unbound is coming.' You're always looking to that day and in third year, all of a sudden it's here,” she laughed. “Big names from Toronto are coming — they come every year … I think that's pretty cool.”

Tickets can be purchased for $45 at The Grand Theatre and included with each ticket is a one-year subscription to Flare, compliments of the College. Doors open at 7 p.m. and show starts at 8 p.m. at Museum London on 421 Ridout St.