16 Canadian fashion and beauty brands you need on your radar
Happy (almost) Canada Day! What better way to celebrate our nation’s birthday than to showcase our favourite brands born in our home and native land? While everyone north (and let’s face it, south) of the U.S. border is well aware of the heavy-hitters like Joe Fresh and Lululemon, we want to shine a light on the some new and exciting Canadian fashion and beauty companies. From shoes that have been seen on Sophie Gregoire Trudeau to 3D printed jewellery, we’ve got a lot of unique ventures in our national fashion and beauty scene.
Scroll through to see the latest and greatest Canadian beauty and fashion brands.
TANYA HEATH Paris
Canadian-born Tanya Heath invented one of our favourite fashion innovations of all time: multi-height shoes with interchangeable heels. With Tanya Heath Paris, you can mix-and-match your favourite shoes and heels with a simple click of a button which means you can go from the work-appropriate kitten heels to sky-high stilettos in an instant. Although she no longer calls the True North her home, she hasn’t forgotten about us—there’s a boutique in Yorkville. Stop by this fall to see her new line of vegan shoes with the same, awesome, mix-and-match possibilities.
Daniel Christian Tang
Started by brothers Luca Daniel and Mario Christian Lavorato and friend, Heng Tang, Daniel Christian Tang is a line of 3D-printed luxury jewellery. Using new technology and their experience in architecture, the founders created a line of gorgeous pieces inspired by the works of some greats like Canadian Frank Gehry. The line, made up of gold and silver pieces, is ultimately a tasteful combination of tech, fashion and architecture—so much so that we named them Best Emerging Designer at Toronto Fashion Week back in March.
Inkbox Tattoos
Canadian brothers, Tyler and Braden, solved a problem that a lot of commitment-phobes faced by creating the world’s first two week tattoo. Inkbox put a spin on the temp tattoos we grew up with by creating a 100% organic, plant-based ink. The catalog of tattoos is extensive with designs you’ll want to show off to anyone and everyone. If you’re thinking about getting inked (permanently), you can have a custom temporary tattoo created which is guaranteed to minimize any risk of post-tattoo regret.
Plume Hair & Lash Science
Plume Lash and Brow Enhancing Serum is a godsend for anyone looking to grow long and luscious lashes. Plume was founded after its creator, Lauren Bilon, suffered from post-pregnancy hair and eyelash loss. The all-natural serum, which is the first of its kind, promises to improve your lash length, volume and density over time. The formula allows you to do away with the toxic chemicals found in other lash growing products.
Rouges Custom
The Toronto company offers custom made-to-measure shoes for men in a variety of classic styles such as lace-up boots, oxfords, and loafers. Each shoe is painted, lasted, welted and finished by hand. Rest assured, a pair of custom shoes can take your man’s fashion game up a level or two.
The Leather Atelier
The accessory line, started by Noelle Hindi and Alex Cirka, combines digital manipulation with leather craftsmanship to create unique pieces such as chokers, cell phone cases, and tote bags. They’ve also done their fair share of pretty cool collaborations with the likes of The National Ballet of Canada.
Lauren Klassen
Canadian jewelry designer, Lauren Klassen, has the ability to create fashionable yet industrial-inspired pieces. She reinvents anything from office supplies to padlocks and keys to create some stylish accessories. Who knew wearing paper clips earrings and a push pin for a necklace could be so chic?
Zvelle
Zvelle founder Elle AyoubZadeh moved to Canada in 2007 to pursue a career in international finance. Little did she know she’d create a line of luxury shoes that would make international headlines when Sophie Gregoire Trudeau was spotted in them on national visit to Japan. Zvelle takes an interesting approach to selling its shoes by only selling direct-to-consumer.
Sentaler
Toronto-based designer Bojana Sentaler has found the secret the creating warm and wonderful-looking coats. In case you’re wondering, it’s all in the alpaca fibres. The luxury outerwear designer started her line after a chance meeting with Karl Lagerfeld (read about it here). She’s seen plenty of success since launching her first showroom in the city’s fashion district. Even Sophie Gregoire Trudeau has been seen sporting her stylish coats on a number of occasions.
Ellie Mae
Her Central Saint Martin’s-trained approach to leather jackets is fresh and exciting as she reworks tried-and-true silhouettes with colourful and bright materials. Her modern take on a vintage standby sure makes her stand out in the Canadian fashion industry.
SLM
Alana Streisfield, Ellen Zabitsky, and Erika Streisfield are another working mother-daughter trio behind SLM which is a line of slim knit pants suitable for any body type. The pants, available for both men and women, incorporate the look of our favourite skinny pant with the comfort of our favourite sweatpants. They’re such a perfect blend of comfort and style that we want to wear them everywhere.
Nudestix
Nudestix was founded by a mother and her two teenaged daughters right here in Canada. Wanting to prefect the oh-so-popular no-makeup makeup look, Ally and Taylor Frankel teamed up with their chemical engineering mom to create the multi-purpose crayons. The Nudestix, which have made their way onto Sephora shelves, come in various formulas to use on the face, eyes and lips.
The Saltwater Collective
Saving the ocean can be fashionable with The Saltwater Collective’s line of clothing, swimwear and lifestyle products. The Toronto-born company is striving to help create cleaner oceans by donating proceeds from every sale to the Oceana organization. Its also reducing their carbon foot-print by manufacturing the line right here in Canada. We can definitely see (sea?) the appeal with their pieces that are adorned with some fabulous puns such as “Shell Yeah!”.
Jordan de Ruiter
This graduate of George Brown College’s fashion design program is committed to keeping her brand Canadian-made. Her namesake collection features vintage-inspired pieces with whimsical details. She has also branched out into bridalwear by offering unique wedding dresses for the non-traditional bride and bridesmaid dresses.
Andrew Coimbra
Seeking a cool, easy and youthful menswear line? Andrew Coimbra is your Canadian man. A graduate from The School of Fashion Studies at George Brown College, Coimbra gained experience working for Pink Tartan, Phillip Sparks and Proenza Schouler, before launching his own label.
SØSKEN Studios
Marisa Minicucci is a Canadian fashion designer with over three decades of experience in the fashion industry. Minicucci’s latest label, SØSKEN Studios, focuses on women’s outwear. Modern and clean cut, her jackets reflect a cool and unique aesthetic. Arline Malkian took home the Best Styling award at our Toronto Fashion Week Awards back in March for this collection.
