Canadian small-batch designers get a showcase for their work at Inland’s pop-up shows

“There’s an excitement in discovering something beautiful,” said Sarah Power. This Toronto entrepreneur speaks from experience.

Power is the founder of Inland, a curated fashion marketplace devoted to independent Canadian designers, (madeinland.ca). She began hosting pop-up shows twice a year for designers who specialize in small-batch clothing and accessories rather than mass-produced items.

The shows offer pieces that generally range in price from $50 to a few hundred, and feature a mix of established designers and emerging talent.

Her next pop-up show, the first in two years, runs May 6 to 8 at the Design Exchange in Toronto. Forty designers will take part.

“It’s a beautiful experience to connect with the maker and talk about their work, and I want it to be organic,” said Power. She began Inland and its pop-up shows in 2014, prompted by a belief that many Canadian designers weren’t getting the exposure they deserved.

“Eighty designers signed up for my first event, which was a signal of need in the marketplace,” Power said. “There were craft shows and Fashion Week, but the gaping middle needed to be served.

“By promoting sustainable collections, advocating for diverse representation and empowering local voices, Inland makes it easy for you to discover, shop and feel good about your everyday wardrobe choices.”

Cyntia Miglio, a Toronto jewelry designer who will be displaying her work at the pop-up, is originally from Brazil, but “my business was born here.” She has been designing jewelry for years, initially as a hobby.

“There was a point where I said, ‘It’s time to do this or I won’t be happy in life. If I don’t do this it will be a regret.’”

She began working at her day job part-time and found a store to support her designs. That prompted her to devote herself full-time to design. Inland provided Miglio the first opportunity to showcase her work.

“It gave me a platform to stand on and launch my business.”

Most of her designs are produced locally and in small batches.

“Artisans are my support. They take my ideas to the next level,” Miglio said. “I like to change the styles and it (small batches) makes it a bit more exclusive, too.”

Kate Austin, a Toronto clothing and fabric designer, will also be exhibiting her work at the Inland pop-up show. Austin, who has a background in design, launched her first collection about six years ago after making a yukata (Japanese summer robe) to replace one that was falling apart.

“I decided it was a sign from the universe,” Austin said with a chuckle.

She began by making clothing that wasn’t available elsewhere and has since branched out into fabrics for the home, too.

“Back then, sustainable clothes were all ‘crunchy granola hemp,’ and the fun clothes were all mass-produced or really high end,” Austin said.

“I saw a space for sustainable block-printed items with my own style. I really wanted to make styles with a flexibility of sizing so they would look good on a range of people.”

Austin created a core collection that she can “re-envision with new colour styles. Everything in the line always goes together and it’s fun to see the pieces interact. It’s timeless dressing.”

The upcoming pop-up show is her third with Inland.

“I love working with Inland,” Austin said. “For other shows, you must make the items yourself or they must be one of a kind. This is great for independent designers. It has a great vibe.”

Power believes strongly that each design she features is a work of art. Designers who show their work at Inland pop-ups usually create from 10 to 100 pieces of a particular item, which means little waste is involved.

“I hope that people start to think about purchasing apparel with the same care that they use in purchasing art for their homes,” Power said.

Austin agrees.

“I like the idea of a limited edition,” Austin said. “The pieces are a work of art. You don’t want to see the same thing everywhere. I love independent expression that is vibrant and varied.”

In curating her pop-ups, Power invites designers who create “beautiful well-made pieces” with a focus on natural fabrics.

“Pop-ups give you the opportunity to touch and feel the designs,” she said.

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