Fanshawe grad Brian Maristela is making his mark on the Canadian men's fashion scene. His creative and provocative designs won him the best design award at Fanshawe's Unbound fashion show and landed him a spot in L'Oreal Toronto Fashion Week. Maristela is bringing a more daring appeal to men's apparel, taking something as simple as swimwear, and altering it into something unique and risqué. Established in 2009, Maristela's line of clothing, Lizares, will soon make a mark in men's fashion by developing and designing men's clothing that is appropriate yet fashionable for men in today's society.

Maristela's inspirations for his collections come from many things, ranging from his heritage to music, culture and the arts and media. The basis of inspiration for his most recent collection was his culture and their traditional clothing; the barong worn in the Philippines. He took embroidery elements, fabrics and styles and modified them to incorporate a fresher, updated look to the more traditional wear. When designing his collections, Maristela pays close attention to trends as it is extremely important in the fashion industry to pre-think what people are going to want to see before they even know it. He says that he takes these trends into consideration when designing, but makes his own decisions and adds his own spin to his collections.

Lizares, named after his mother's maiden name to show his appreciation for the support and encouragement his parents gave him along his journey, mainly focuses on menswear for fashion forward individuals. The swimwear collection is designed for men who like to add a bit of spice to their life, as the swimsuits are very modern and can be quite revealing. This collection is aimed towards a male target audience in the age range of 25 to 35. It takes not only a confident male to appreciate this collection, but a wellestablished individual as well.

However, even though some of Maristela's collections are very promiscuous and meant mainly for the runway, he has some male collections that are created for an average individual who isn't afraid to add a little bit of flare to their wardrobe. Maristela's suits are said to be timeless and very wearable for anyone. The suits are classic in style with subtle details of ostrich and bright coloured lining, to add a more creative appeal to the typical suit.

When interviewing Maristela, he said that taking the fashion design program here at Fanshawe College definitely helped him get to where he is today. Being able to reveal his first collection in the Unbound fashion show, was his first steps to success. It led him to the Toronto Fashion Week and many more exciting shows and events. Lizares is well on its way to carving a unique and everlasting niche within the world of fashion.

Maristela is still designing to this day and hopes to take his line of clothing to the next stage by continuing to create memorable collections of clothing for men. He plans on exploring women's apparel and expanding the company in that aspect of the industry. With Maristela's innovative and creative designs, there is no doubt that he will soon make his mark in the fashion industry.

To see an exclusive interview with Brian Maristela for Fanshawe College students and faculty, visit www.uatvicious.com www.uatvicious.com