Dixon visit inspiring
For the second week in a row now, Fanshawe's fashion students have been lucky enough to have yet another big name in fashion pay a visit and get involved with London's aspiring designers. Last week young Canadian designer Evan Biddell came to speak and share advice. Then on Thursday the 18th, fashion icon David Dixon came not only to speak with first and second year students, but also for one-on-one sessions with soon-to-be-graduating third year students, and it was a great success.
Born in Toronto and educated at Ryerson University, Dixon is the ideal poster boy for local fashion design and sets a great example for students across Ontario. Dixon worked with another famous Canadian designer Alfred Sung in 1995, and began the David Dixon label, stationing himself at the Toronto Fashion Incubator. The Fashion Incubator is a highly respected organization that began with the hope of helping new designers, offering them a place to work, rent out space and develop lines once out of school. The Fashion Incubator has been a huge success and continues to assist young designers every year.
In 1999 he left the Incubator to work more independently, but still remains affiliated with them and sits on the board as an advisor. Dixon is also affiliated with Ryerson fashion design, but lately has become more involved with our program here at Fanshawe; this year will be the third year that he judges final collections at the Unbound Fashion Show.
After visiting this month and learning more about our program and professors, Dixon has even more interest in what we have to offer as a college and was extremely impressed with the faculty and the energy that the Fashion design program gives off. He praised our dedicated professors and everything they have worked towards with helping the fashion students like our access to the pricey trend research website WGSN, our incredibly professional Unbound fashion show that is held every year, and the New York trip for fabric shopping, as well as optional trips to France and Italy.
Dixon hopes to become more involved with Fanshawe fashion design and it is a huge honour to have him show such interest in a college that is not necessarily close to where he is stationed in Toronto; he even hinted at possibly tagging along on the New York trip next year which would be astounding for students to be able to shop and ask advice from one of Canada's biggest names in fashion.
Dixon definitely knows who he is as a designer and has been around long enough to offer expert advice, because he simply knows what works and what doesn't. He put an emphasis on how you don't need to do outrageous things in this industry to get people's attention, and if you break into the right market at the right time, the customer and money is there waiting for you.
Dixon is currently working with the Shopping Network, and while he made it clear that although it might not sound as fun and exciting to do, he pointed out that there are many customers in places who aren't able to have access to his designs, and he is therefore giving them a chance to feel fashionable and participate and support his brand, which I think is a very intelligent move. He also believes in affordable fashions — not lowering the quality, but targeting a more realistic customer.
Both speakers, Biddell and Dixon have been extremely helpful to me personally as a designer but to everyone who knows them — they set the standard for Canadian fashion, put us on the map as a fashionable country with serious talent, and make people like myself so proud to be Canadian. They also encourage me to go out and follow their lead, and be a part of the world of fashion in our own backyard.
Born in Toronto and educated at Ryerson University, Dixon is the ideal poster boy for local fashion design and sets a great example for students across Ontario. Dixon worked with another famous Canadian designer Alfred Sung in 1995, and began the David Dixon label, stationing himself at the Toronto Fashion Incubator. The Fashion Incubator is a highly respected organization that began with the hope of helping new designers, offering them a place to work, rent out space and develop lines once out of school. The Fashion Incubator has been a huge success and continues to assist young designers every year.
In 1999 he left the Incubator to work more independently, but still remains affiliated with them and sits on the board as an advisor. Dixon is also affiliated with Ryerson fashion design, but lately has become more involved with our program here at Fanshawe; this year will be the third year that he judges final collections at the Unbound Fashion Show.
After visiting this month and learning more about our program and professors, Dixon has even more interest in what we have to offer as a college and was extremely impressed with the faculty and the energy that the Fashion design program gives off. He praised our dedicated professors and everything they have worked towards with helping the fashion students like our access to the pricey trend research website WGSN, our incredibly professional Unbound fashion show that is held every year, and the New York trip for fabric shopping, as well as optional trips to France and Italy.
Dixon hopes to become more involved with Fanshawe fashion design and it is a huge honour to have him show such interest in a college that is not necessarily close to where he is stationed in Toronto; he even hinted at possibly tagging along on the New York trip next year which would be astounding for students to be able to shop and ask advice from one of Canada's biggest names in fashion.
Dixon definitely knows who he is as a designer and has been around long enough to offer expert advice, because he simply knows what works and what doesn't. He put an emphasis on how you don't need to do outrageous things in this industry to get people's attention, and if you break into the right market at the right time, the customer and money is there waiting for you.
Dixon is currently working with the Shopping Network, and while he made it clear that although it might not sound as fun and exciting to do, he pointed out that there are many customers in places who aren't able to have access to his designs, and he is therefore giving them a chance to feel fashionable and participate and support his brand, which I think is a very intelligent move. He also believes in affordable fashions — not lowering the quality, but targeting a more realistic customer.
Both speakers, Biddell and Dixon have been extremely helpful to me personally as a designer but to everyone who knows them — they set the standard for Canadian fashion, put us on the map as a fashionable country with serious talent, and make people like myself so proud to be Canadian. They also encourage me to go out and follow their lead, and be a part of the world of fashion in our own backyard.
