In Canada, fashion week leans into community, craft and creativity

Models walk the runway at Suburban Deviant's Spring/Summer 2025 show at Fashion Art Toronto.

“Who gets to participate in fashion week?” is a question the global fashion industry has grappled with since pandemic lockdowns faded away and folks yearned once more for the pageantry of the catwalk.

In the four cities that comprise the main fashion month calendar – New York , London , Milan and Paris – runway show invites are increasingly reserved for celebrities and content creators with massive social media followings, making the already-exclusive events even more so than in seasons past. The fashion week programming in some Canadian cities, however, suggests that building community and highlighting craft and creativity – not pandering to clout – are what’s bolstering industry events