dailynewsnblog
Lauren Chan is a Who What Wear editor in residence, model, former award-winning fashion editor, and founder of Henning, a luxury plus-size clothing label.
At the 2026 Canadian Arts and Fashion Awards, a reporter on the red carpet asked me, “What makes Canadian fashion Canadian?” My short answer: its diversity. After having time to reflect, my long answer is that said diversity is best exemplified through our class of emerging designers. Among them are women and queer people, Indigenous folks, immigrants—the list goes on. Their visions range from architectural tailoring to drag-queen-approved sculpture. And they are having an impact around the world, from making the LVMH Prize semifinals to dressing the stars of Heated Rivalry.
This year, the nominees for CAFA’s Emerging Fashion Designer Award were Eduardo Ramos, Golshaah, Jozeph Diarbakerli, Serena Li, SteMargScot, and Tristan Rehel. The Emerging Accessories Designer Award category featured Atacz, By Mademoiselle Jules, Studio Rybko, Sacrd Thndr, Vimeria, and WILYMI. And the Fashion Design Student Award acknowledged Delbar Mohamadi, Hoang Gia Linh Doan, Kirstine Fernandez, Mackenzie Cyr, and Samuel Castaing. Below, you’ll discover more about my favorite emerging Canadian designers.
1. Golshaah
(Image credit: Golshaah)
Golshaah is Golnar Ahmadian’s Toronto-based brand rooted in Iranian culture, offering seasonless, timeless pieces that explore bold femininity through architectural silhouettes and thoughtful tailoring. Drawing inspiration from structure, proportion, and layering, each design balances strength and softness, with silhouettes like layered pants and backwards shirts. My most-loved GolShaah piece is a pair of bottoms that, when worn forward are shorts and when worn backwards are pants. I also love the button-down I own with the neck hole and collar on the chest of the shirt. Golshaah won this year’s CAFA for Emerging Fashion Designer and made it to the semifinals for the LVMH Prize.
2. Mario Fugnitto
(Image credit: Mario Fugnitto)
Mario Fugnitto is a Canadian designer operating at the intersection of fashion, sculpture, and dancewear. Since its founding in Toronto in 2022, the brand has built a reputation for wet-formed leather garments that contour the body with striking precision. Informed by dance and queer identity, the work carries a sense of tension. At Fugnitto, the body becomes both subject and statement—like when I wore a sculpted resin piece to the 2024 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit red carpet. Mario was nominated for the 2024 CAFA Award for Emerging Designer and has dressed Canadian superstars from Grace Mahary to Ksenia Daniela Kharlamova.
3. Evan Clayton
(Image credit: Evan Clayton)
Evan Clayton is a brand that marries art and design to create strong political and imaginative statements in every piece of work. Think: extremely luxe, draggy eveningwear modeled by Canadian trans influencers like Lauren Sundstorm. Since Clayton’s first release in 2011, the designer has since become internationally known by showing collections in Canada, Austria, and Japan. He’s also had features in Vogue UK, Vogue China, Paper Magazine, Nylon, and more. Evan has notably dressed the likes of Doja Cat, Allie X, Brooke Candy, Carly Rae Jepsen, Kali Uchis, Candice Swanepoel, and drag queens from RuPaul’s Drag Race.
4. Brielle
(Image credit: Brielle)
Gabrielle Szynkarsky is the founder and designer of BRIELLE, a Montreal-based luxury womenswear brand known for sculptural, second-skin silhouettes and statement lace pieces that celebrate the female form. BRIELLE has garnered international recognition, becoming a cult-favorite among artists and cultural figures including Tyla, Camila Cabello, Kourtney Kardashian, and Paris Hilton. Gabrielle was personally featured on the cover of FASHION magazine as a Canadian designer to watch. Most recently, Madonna wore custom BRIELLE gloves to perform at Coachella alongside Sabrina Carpenter.
5. Tristan Rehel
(Image credit: Tristan Rehel)
Tristan Rehel is a Montreal-born, Antwerp-based artist and designer building a universe that exists between fashion, costume, and visual art. His work moves between one-of-a-kind couture pieces and ready-to-wear capsules, developed through a hands-on, craft-driven approach where theatricality and silhouette are central. His pieces can be seen on Alessia Cara on the cover of FASHION magazine and on breakout drag star Sami Landri on the most recent season of Canada’s Drag Race. Rehel takes pride in rejecting the concept of quiet luxury and the dominance of neutral, minimalist aesthetics. Basically, he makes fashion fun!
6. Lesley Hampton
(Image credit: Lesley Hampton)
Lesley Hampton is a Toronto-based Anishinaabe fashion designer focused on mental wellness and body neutrality in fashion through the lens of the Indigenous worldview. She’s created for the Toronto Raptors and Toronto Maple Leafs; dressed impactful celebrities like Lily Gladstone, Sandra Oh, Devery Jacobs, Rachel Reid, and Lizzo. Not surprisingly, she’s been named to Forbes 30 Under 30 Local: Toronto and recognized by Vogue as the number one Canadian brand to watch. Among other awards, Lesley took home the Fashion Impact Award at the 2021 Canadian Arts and Fashion Awards. (When Lesley isn’t designing, she’s modeling, public speaking, and appearing on shows like Canada’s Drag Race!)
7. Sagradesa
(Image credit: Sagradesa)
Sagradesa is a slow-fashion brand rooted in sustainability and storytelling. Inspired by nature, the brand creates unique, handmade designs using reclaimed textiles. The vibe: sexy counter-culture it-girl with Victorian and Vivienne Westwood influences. Each piece is made-to-order, specializing in custom eveningwear, bridal, and costume design—and the garments are ethically made in the USA and Canada by Colombian designer Maxime Chercover. Sagradesa does costume design for Palestinian/Chilean artist Elyanna (who’s on tour with Coldplay) as well as performance looks for Ravyn Lenae, Jessie Reyes, and Lexa Gates.
8. Charles Lu
(Image credit: Charles Lu)
CHARLES LU is grounded in bold tailoring and architectural design. He is known for creating structural and corseted works using athleisure fabrications—all in black, grey, and white. When Lu ventures into formalwear, his signature carries through via his colorways and the linear designs (both in shape and pattern) that he loves so much he has them tattooed over his shoulders. Charles has competed on Netflix’s Next In Fashion and Project Runway Canada. Most recently, he dressed Canadian supermodel Coco Rocha—and you can keep an eye out for me in Charles Lu soon!
9. Wuthering Delight
(Image credit: Wuthering Delight)
Wuthering Delight is a Toronto-based brand founded by Curtis Matysek. Specializing in custom corsetry, Wuthering Delight creates fashion-forward takes on historical silhouettes. (Think: Canadian drag queen Priyanka wearing a corseted nurse-inspired ensemble by Matysek to the premiere of her show Drag Brunch Saved My Life.) After making it to the top three contestants of Project Runway Canada, Matysek is focusing on branching out into ready-to-wear, allowing more prospective customers to enter the fantasy world of Wuthering Delight. For this year’s CAFA Awards, he dressed the host, Caroline Vreeland in a white corset gown and sailor hat.
10. Jontay Kahm
(Image credit: Jontay Kahm)
Jontay Kahm is from the Mosquito First Nation in Saskatchewan. He has been quoted as saying that he aims to elevate his Indigenous culture through fashion design, blending traditional craftsmanship with avant-garde aesthetics to create powerful expressions of identity, history, spirituality and to challenge perceptions and celebrate Indigenous people and our culture with integrity, innovation, and excellence in the fashion industry. In 2024, he won the 2024 CAFA Award for Emerging Designer and thereafter showed his collection at Fashion Art Toronto. He’s also been profiled in Vogue by fellow Canadian Christian Allaire.
11. Leeland Mitchell
(Image credit: Leeland Mitchell)
Leeland Mitchell’s designs mix a blend of costume, camp, and high fashion. After years of designing for the drag and cosplay communities (and national treasure Avril Lavigne!), Leeland broke into the mainstream by winning this of Project Runway Canada. He hopes to bring “fun” back to Canadian fashion and inspire others who don’t fit in to create art without fear and stand in one’s creative element. You can find him located in Toronto’s Chinatown, working on building up the community—or maybe your next favourite outfit. (Fun fact: I wore Leeland Mitchell to the Oscars this year.)
12. Wynn
(Image credit: Lauren Chan)
Lynne Weare is a Toronto-based designer working under her own name, alongside an evolving practice that grew into her label, called WYNN. Her work centers on custom garments and one-of-one pieces, with a focus on fit, material, and refined construction. Lynne is an expert tailor that I met on set (if you can think of a Canadian celebrity, like Drake or Nelly Furtado, she’s made garments for them!), so I was delighted when I learned about WYNN. The brand has mostly focused on denim in inventive shapes with perfect fit—win, WYNN. Get it?
13. Sapodillas
(Image credit: Lauren Chan)
Dillea Himbara’s brand Sapodillas is for the ethereal hot girl (her words, according to the website). She has become known for using upcycled materials in sheer, pastel, shimmery fabrications to hand-make dresses and separates that are equal parts artful and sexy, thanks to their body-skimming silhouettes and all-over cut-outs. She’s dressed Meg Stalter for RuPaul’s Drag Race, Nelly Furtado for Elle magazine, and Jessie Reyez for her tour. Lately, she’s stepped into the bridal space and is making upcycled Toronto Tempo merch. I’ve worn a few Sapodillas pieces and can vouch that they do, in fact, make you feel like an ethereal hot girl.
Explore More:
