Figuring out who you are, what is expected of you, and who you want to be is not a simple task for anyone. For teenage girls, developing personal confidence and style is a challenge when faced with an onslaught of media imagery and social pressure.

The beauty industry's relationship to feminism got more complicated as Dove launched their Real Beauty campaign. Applauded by some and questioned by others, it certainly raises the discussion of girls and media to the meta level.

TRENDS is a fashion club for teenage girls who love fashion but are determined not to be victims. Invited to attend a TRENDS meeting, I talked about fashion illustration and fashion school. Reminded of how insecure I was as a teenager, I was amazed to realize how audacious I have become. It was cool to share my experience with a group of thoughtful younger girls.

The TRENDS meeting on December 15 features a political image consultant speaking on Leadership & Beauty - an interesting chance to discuss the power of appearances with a professional. New members are welcome, call Jocelyne at 416 225 0331 for details.

Photo Credit

L'Oreal Fashion Week is over, and now we have six months to reflect on the collections and the event itself before doing it all over again. For the designers it is just beginning, as they start manufacturing orders for Spring and designing Fall 2008.

My own aftermath of fashion week is a stack of sketches - dozens of figures to be sorted through, some selected and developed. The ones above are from Rudsak. More sketches will be posted on my site, Final Fashion, over the next little while.

How did it go down and what did everyone think? From what I have seen, heard and read, LFW Spring 08 in Nathan Philips Square had an unprecedented air of liveliness and enthusiasm that was a pleasure to be a part of.

For five seasons now I have watched Zoran Dobric's shows. It is fascinating to see a designer's vision mature.

Dobric was my creative design professor in fashion school. He delighted us by showing his process of gathering inspiration for design. This included exploration of craft processes like screen printing, crushing, pleating, embroidery and applique. He also introduced us to the work of the European avant garde designers he admires. These abundant scrapbooks of torn magazines and experimental swatches of cloth are the essence of Dobric's design identity.

Each collection Dobric has shown in Toronto has defined his unique point of view. The early ones were a long, slow, serious procession of one-off garments that Dobric produced in whatever time he had left between a full time design job and a part-time professorship. As students, we were all struck by his commitment to doing it all. Dobric's clothes were never simple, and were often the product of several processes personally executed by the designer's dedicated hands.

As Dobric told Jeanne Beker in the interview after his show on Tuesday, he would rather design than sleep. With that determination, Dobric's star is certain to rise.

It seems that the success that the Fashion and Design Festival had bringing fashion outdoors to the people did not go unnoticed at the Fashion Design Council of Canada. L'Oreal Fashion Week is camping out in Nathan Phillips Square this season and opening the tents to the general public.

Traditionally tucked out of the way at Exhibition Place, many people in the city seem to be unaware that we even have a Fashion Week. Perhaps the move to a more convenient central location will introduce the local fashion scene to the citizens of Toronto who usually would not see the shows.

This being Toronto though, I wonder if the warm weather hold up until the end of the month? Fashion Cares in tents last May was a frigid disaster, and does not bear repeating. The FDCC better make sure the heaters are working. After all, the models will be wearing Spring and Summer clothes... and goosebumps are not sexy.

Whatever the weather, I will be there with mitts on - and encourage everyone to come see Toronto's best designers and models rock the runways downtown. This is our Fashion Week!

Photo: Osei (Ozzy)

Today after a long summer of speculation, we finally find out who is going to be in (or out) of Project Runway. Featuring a selection of the unknown and the up-and-coming, the Toronto contingent is well represented, as we suspected.

Today and tomorrow, the Fashion and Design Festival is bringing the best of Canadian fashion to the people. The festival opened yesterday to a bustling Dundas Square, offering the chance for regular people to experience the thrill of seeing a well-produced fashion show. Highlights last night included the show I <3 Kyoto, an "ethical" fashion show featuring designs using recycled fabrics.