We have selected all types of brands to showcase in the past: ready to wear, swimwear, menswear, evening wear, outerwear, children’s couture, maternity, wearable art, wearable tech, handbags, jewelry, bridal etc. We are more interested in selecting designers who are ready to hustle, invest in their business and ready to work through this incredible experience.

We generally try to select all runway participants by mid July.

Typically a startup would be a business that has been on the market for 7 years or less. However, it could also be interpreted as a business that is new to the Toronto market (7 years or less).

During a model casting event organized by the SFW team, Designers will select the models they like for their own show but ultimately models will need to be approved by the SFW founder to ensure they are runway ready. Designers will also get to select models from the casting to represent their brand at the Media Launch and for any photo shoots they participate in.

Generally we offer Mini Collections (4 runway looks) and Full Collections (8-10 runway looks). We also offer add-on options to participate in photo shoots and to purchase video packages. Costs are mentioned in the Designer Applications.

No - media coverage is never guaranteed for anyone - even if you hire your own PR agency, they can never guarantee media coverage. Typically established designers would hire a PR representative to pitch media interviews and coverage but we understand that startups are overwhelmed and have small budgets so we do our best to broker partnerships with media to offer coverage. However, generally our partners will select the designers they want to spotlight. We strongly encourage all designers to have their digital assets professionally ready two months beforehand (website, photos, social media etc.) in order to be taken seriously by media.

We have had a range of media coverage for our designers - it changes every year. We have had segments on Breakfast Television, various podcasts and radio shows. We have also seen our designers featured in SPENCER Magazine, Montreal Gazette, BlogTO, WestJet Magazine, STYLE Canada, FORWARD Fashion Magazine etc.

Yes! To be honest many show producers just curate designers to provide an evening of entertainment for guests, which doesn’t really benefit the designer much. (We hear this all the time!) SFW takes a very different approach by placing emphasis on your business growth. We treat SFW like an incubator experience to ensure designers are ready for growth. So if you want to take your business to the next level, fill out an application!

Yes! We have showcased designers from all across Canada (including Nunavut) as well as a few international designers looking to break into the Canadian fashion landscape.

Well to start you ate about to have an amazing experience! You will build networks (and friendships) within the industry. You will get access to our events for netwroking / marketing. You will have mentorship along the way to learn how to elevate your business to survive in a competitive industry. You will have access to professional images and will have a lot of fun building your brand’s legacy!