The Canadian Arts & Fashion Awards (CAFA) once again proudly united the fashion industry’s top artists, influencers, and business leaders from across the country and around the world to commemorate the 2024 winners and honourees at its 11th annual awards gala in Toronto. This year’s event was hosted by Canadian drag artist, television personality, and Toronto native Brooke Lynn Hytes and took place at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel.
Legendary Montréal-born and London-based fashion designer and previous CAFA International Canadian Designer of the Year Award recipient Erdem Moralioglu presented Linda Evangelista with the 2024 Vanguard Award. Over the course of her storied career, Linda Evangelista has taken fashion’s most devoted and worldwide audience on a visual journey of legendary proportions. With more than 700 magazine covers to her credit, Linda has appeared in a plethora of the most iconic advertising campaigns and editorials ever published and walked countless runways for the world’s most celebrated designers. With a career heralded by so many, Linda continues to inspire—using her celebrity to support a variety of causes—most notably breast cancer, of which she is a two-time survivor, and as an activist for AIDS/HIV research and awareness, racial equality, body positivity and the LGBTQ+ community.
Braille fashion designer Alexa Jovanovic and CEO of the Toronto Fashion Incubator (TFI) Susan Langdon presented Ben Barry, Dean of Fashion at Parsons School of Design in New York City, with a 2024 Changemaker Award for his work transforming the school’s fashion curriculum and culture by embedding access, equity and justice as its foundation. Previously, as Chair of Fashion at Toronto Metropolitan University, Ben spearheaded a new vision to integrate inclusion, decolonization, and sustainability into the school’s courses, hiring practices and student life. His teaching and research explorethe intersectional fashion experiences of disabled, fat, trans and queer individuals, collaborating with these communities to design clothing, fashion shows, exhibitions and programs that cultivate inclusion and equity.In partnership with Sinéad Burke, Ben launched the Parsons Disabled Fashion Student Program. This recruitment, scholarship and mentorship initiative creates access for disabled students in fashion educationand fosters disability inclusion in the fashion industry. In recognition of his contributions to the fashion industry, Ben was named to the inaugural Vogue Business “100 Innovators” list.
Award-winning Canadian singer and TV host Keshia Chanté presented Justice Faith and Nia Faith (inabsentia) with a 2024 Changemaker Award for their work as the co-founders of Révolutionnaire and The Rév Shop, a movement to empower young people to make a positive impact and an inclusive apparel and accessories line designed for everyone to celebrate the skin they’re in. Together, Justice and Nia have been recognized as Forbes 30 Under 30 honorees, among Canada's Top 25 Most Influential Women, and Toronto Star’s Top 24 of 2024. Their influential work and insights have been featured in Forbes, WWD, Black Enterprise, Toronto Star, Elle Magazine, Buzzfeed, Refinery 29, Essence, Fashion, Cheddar, CBC,and more.
The 2024 Outstanding Achievement Award was presented to Roots, a premium outdoor lifestyle brand renowned for its iconic sweats and leather goods. Suzanne Boyd presented the award, which Meghan Roach, the President and CEO of Roots, accepted. Founded by Don Green and Michael Budman in 1973 in Toronto, Roots has spent the last 51 years as a cornerstone of Canadian culture, embodying a deep commitment to quality, authenticity, and innovation. With a foundation built on a love for the outdoors and the beauty of nature, Roots is recognized for its craftsmanship and meaningful connection with communities worldwide. Under the leadership of President and CEO, Meghan Roach, Roots continues to celebrate its rich heritage while embracing a dynamic vision for the future, driven by creative leadership and a passion for innovation. As the company marked its 50th anniversary last year, it remains dedicated to forging authentic relationships with its customers and partners, inspired by the unwavering support of the Rootsteam.
This year, Christian Allaire, Ojibwe fashion writer at Vogue, took the stage to introduce the launch of the Indigenous Fashion Award, a new initiative dedicated to honouring the exceptional talent, creative skills,and storytelling of Indigenous designers and artisans. CAFA Co-Founder and President Vicky Milner said of the announcement: “We are committed to celebrating diverse styles and expressions that uphold artistic legacies and modern innovations that push the boundaries of contemporary fashion. As we launch this award, we are excited to engage with Indigenous designers, brands, creators, and various other Indigenous fashion platforms and groups. Our goal is to create opportunities for mentorship and collaboration, fosteringa vibrant ecosystem that honours tradition while embracing innovation and business development opportunities.”
Additionally, as part of CAFA’s philanthropic commitments, the 2024 Gala was proud to spotlight two remarkable organizations: Shelter Movers and End Violence Everywhere (EVE). Founded by Marc Hull-Jacquin, Shelter Movers is a national, volunteer-powered charitable organization providing moving and storage services at no cost to individuals and families fleeing abuse. They collaborate with local businesses and community agencies in 10 Canadian cities to support thousands of survivors, primarily women and children, as they transition to a life free of violence.
EVE, founded by Canadian artist and activist Cait Alexander, provides end-to-end advocacy services forsurvivors of violence, namely intimate partner violence (IPV) and sexual assault (SA) in Canada and the USA. By offering a trauma-informed friend to aid the survivor in their recovery, EVE provides support for medical, legal, financial, or therapeutic needs. They also work with the government to pass better legislation, reform the justice system and help create a better culture.
As part of this evening’s celebrations, NARS Beauty Lounge offered CAFA guests a unique opportunity to experience life on the explicit side and to celebrate the brand’s 30th anniversary. Guests got the opportunity to step into a space where glamour meets effortless edge and sublime sophistication meets total provocation. Attendees got the chance to find their perfect Explicit shade, try iconic Blush, enjoy the Explicit photo booth and play the NARS digital game.
Harry Rosen also offered guests an immersive luxury lounge experience featuring high-fashion piecesfrom their FW24 collection. The space integrated fashion, art, and luxury into a single Harry Rosen experience, where guests created new memories from photos and custom illustrations.
Additionally, in celebration of their unique intersection of tech and fashion, Amazon Canada activated animmersive space, aptly named the Amazon Atelier, at the 2024 CAFA Awards. Inspired by the work of the nominees for the Fashion Design Student Award sponsored by Amazon, the Amazon Atelier artfully showcased the craftsmanship and breadth of Canada’s emerging talent. Designed as a modern, conceptual take on a traditional atelier, the space featured a curated selection of Amazon Fashion pieces. It also included a photo studio experience where guests could capture their own iconic style moments during theawards ceremony. The Amazon Atelier offered an innovative perspective and fresh storytelling on Amazon’s growing presence in the fashion industry, while underlining Amazon's continuous support of Canadian designers through its future-focused digital platform.
The gala and ongoing programming continue to be made possible by CAFA’s generous sponsors, including returning presenting sponsor NARS Cosmetics, along with returning sponsors Yorkdale Shopping Centre, Disruptive Edge, Fairmont Royal York, Palettera, The Kit, and Toronto Star.
New additions to CAFA sponsorship this year included Amazon Canada, Dyson, Harry Rosen, Optimum Retailing, and LaSalle College Montréal, a member of LCI Education, who presented the 2024 NewGen List.
Image credit: George Pimentel Photography
