Meets the Makers: Michael Zoffranieri of ZOFF

Label: ZOFF

Designer Name: Michael Zoffranieri

 Hometown: Mississauga, ON

 Zodiac Sign:  Gemini sun, Aries rising, Gemini moon

 Year you created your label: 2012, relaunched in 2017

Describe your label in three words 

Feels like home, tailored, badass bitch

What made you first want to be a designer?

I’ve always loved fashion and its relationship with storytelling but for a long time, I wondered where I fit into the industry. In 2011, I was a pattern cutting assistant at David Dixon and I found it. I wanted to tell a story through clothing, I wanted to create art for my clients and alas, ZOFF was born!

When you decided to become designer, what is one thing you had no idea you’d have to do?

Bookkeeping

If you could have anyone in the world wear your collection, who would it be?

I want to say Solange, I want to say Lady Gaga and Kate Winslet. Can I say all? Is that ok?

What is one place or location that inspires you?

Being under the sheets.

What would you consider the highlight of your career so far?

Being able to go into the studio in the morning, have my espresso and welcome the sewers to the studio.

What are you most looking forward to about Toronto Fashion Week in collaboration with RESET^TM?

Getting to share my stories on the incredibly huge platform that is Toronto Fashion Week. It is such an immense privilege to be showing on this kind of a scale. I also have enjoyed and continue to look forward to working with such talented professionals, both on my team and the fashion week team. I am forever grateful for this invaluable experience.

ZOFF is showing at 4:00pm on September 5th, 2018 at Yorkville Village (136 Yorkville Avenue).