#FASHION: FASHION ART TORONTO RETURNS MAY 23-31, 2026

Fashion Art Toronto returns May 23–31, 2026, leading Toronto’s longest-running multi-arts fashion week into a bold new era with a city-wide takeover that positions Canadian fashion on the global stage.

With more than 50 designers and brands presenting across runway and Offsite programming, this season marks a defining moment of growth, scale and ambition. Expanding across the city while anchoring at its waterfront hub, Fashion Art Toronto continues to evolve as the platform shaping what fashion in Canada looks like today — and where it’s going next.

This season reinforces Toronto’s place as a rising global fashion capital — driven by a community that is diverse, innovative, and unapologetically expressive.

Under the theme “Toronto, Show Yourself”, the season is a call to action — for designers, artists and audiences to show up fully and take pride in their identity, their work and their voice. “This season is about taking up space,” said Vanja Vasic, Founder & Executive Director, Fashion Art Toronto. “We are witnessing a shift. Canadian fashion is no longer emerging, it has arrived. The level of talent, creativity and diversity in this country is undeniable. ‘Toronto, Show Yourself’ is about being loud, being proud, and showing the world exactly who we are and underscoring Toronto’s expanding influence as a fashion destination, firmly in step with established international fashion centres.”

Blending runway, art, retail and performance, Fashion Art Toronto transforms the city into a dynamic cultural landscape — from waterfront runways to historic landmarks, unexpected venues and immersive environments — creating one of the most visually exciting and culturally relevant fashion events in the country.

Fashion Art Toronto is open to the public, with tickets now available for purchase online.

FASHION WEEK OPENING PARTY

Fashion Art Toronto launches the season on Saturday, May 23 with an exclusive, invite-only FASHION WEEK OPENING PARTY Presented by MAISON PERRIER, hosted within a private Toronto mansion.

Framed as a high-fashion spectacle inspired by Met Gala-level arrivals, the evening features a green carpet experience, paparazzi-style media moments, DJs, live performances, and immersive activations set within lush gardens and opulent surroundings.  The night will spotlight Montreal-based, French-born designer LAKUACHIMOTO, the avant-garde, non-gendered label founded in 2019 by Vincent Quach (aka LaKuach). Blending everyday wear with fantasy, the brand creates bold, sculptural silhouettes that move effortlessly between glamour and the everyday.

Rooted in Maison Perrier’s French art de vivre and its enduring connection to creativity, the Opening Party partnership with Fashion Art Toronto is a deliberate expression of the brand’s commitment to culture and design. By championing both emerging and established Canadian talent, Maison Perrier joins Fashion Art Toronto in creating a platform where the fashion community can come together—celebrating innovation, craft, and contemporary style at the heart of Fashion Week.

OFFSITE

Monday, May 25

Fashion Art Toronto officially kicks off the week with a landmark takeover of the former Hudson’s Bay / Saks Fifth Avenue flagship, transforming the iconic third floor into THE (SHOW) ROOM — a large-scale luxury retail takeover and cultural marketplace featuring 100+ Canadian brands and fashion institutions.

Free to the public during the day (10AM – 10PM), the activation reimagines the future of retail through immersive brand storytelling, installations, and direct-to-consumer experiences, opening a historically exclusive space to the wider community.

The evening continues with runway presentations by Charles Lu and L’Uomo Strano. Charles Lu delivers a two-part experience — a live behind-the-scenes fashion performance followed by a retrospective runway show spanning his career. L’Uomo Strano will present a powerful collection responding to anti-trans discrimination, using fashion as a platform for visibility and resistance.

Tuesday, May 26 — Distillery District
Fashion Art Toronto brings fashion into one of the city’s most iconic cultural hubs with a series of outdoor runway presentations. Highlights include Indigenous designers Ayimach Horizons and Wabanoonkwe, alongside the Lignes de Fuite (LDF) showcase spotlighting emerging French-Canadian talent.

Wednesday, May 27 — Danforth Basketball Court
In one of the season’s most unconventional shows, AB.0 presents HER, a high-energy runway staged inside a basketball court within a church. Featuring a live DJ spinning vintage hip hop and casting real athletes instead of traditional models, the collection explores women in sport through reworked vintage athleticwear transformed into avant-garde pieces.

Sunday, May 31
The Offsite program concludes with Siyawareva presenting Mon Abri Secret at One King West Hotel, led by recent Project Runway contestant Foster Siyawareva, whose work redefines modern luxury through precision, restraint and quiet power. Additionally, the Textile Museum of Canada, includes RE:STANCE, an immersive afternoon of panels, workshops and film screenings exploring sustainability and textile futures.

ON THE RUNWAY

More than 42 Canadian designers will showcase their work at T3 Bayside, 251 Queens Quay E, Toronto this season, presenting a powerful mix of contemporary fashion, couture, streetwear, and experimental design.

This season places a strong emphasis on streetwear and cultural expression, spotlighting brands shaping the next wave of Canadian fashion including SCYSSOR, GRIMEY INC., and Liam Horbay. From SCYSSOR’s raw, deconstructed silhouettes to GRIMEY INC.’s underground, music-driven aesthetic and Liam Horbay’s emotionally charged, narrative-led collections, these designers reflect the pulse of youth culture and the evolving identity of Toronto fashion.

International perspectives arrive on the runway through a special presentation by M7 Qatar, a Doha-based creative incubator and cultural platform supporting emerging designers across fashion, design and innovation. This curated group show features Authentic Roz’, LIN, and Denim, bringing a global dialogue to the runway through contemporary silhouettes, refined craftsmanship and culturally rooted storytelling.

Fashion Art Toronto continues its partnership with Montreal-based incubator Lignes de Fuite, presenting eight emerging designers across two distinct runway showcases this season. Known as a creative incubator for experimental design, Lignes de Fuite supports the next generation of Quebec talent, acting as a bridge between emerging designers and the broader fashion industry while strengthening cross-provincial collaboration.

The runway also highlights designers making major moves within the Canadian retail landscape, including MAYER, who recently opened a flagship boutique in Yorkville, marking a significant step in bringing independent Canadian design into luxury retail spaces. Standout Canadian designers returning to the runway include Anmol Handa Atelier, known for merging couture craftsmanship with immersive storytelling and hand-embellished design.

Indigenous designers remain a powerful presence this season, with collections from Ayimach Horizons, Wabanoonkwe, Stacey Mitchell Designs, ReeCreeations, and Yana Manta, each bringing forward narratives rooted in cultural identity, heritage and contemporary Indigenous expression.

Fashion Art Toronto also presents its FASHN DISRPTR Award recipients — NDSCLSD, Zoe Stone, Pearletta Design, and Kendrick Tran — designers recognized for their disruptive, forward-thinking approach to fashion through innovation, material exploration and conceptual storytelling.

OFF THE RUNWAY

In between shows, guests can play, dance, shop and capture content inside the 30,000-square-foot Fashion Playground at T3 Bayside — a high-energy environment where fashion, art, nightlife and community collide.

This season’s experience is amplified through immersive installations and artist-led environments. Highlights include Dreamspace Daedalus by Angad.Aedalus, an interactive projection installation where guests manipulate light and space through movement, transforming the environment in real time.

Bianca Daniela Nachtman presents a striking sculptural installation exploring the relationship between the human body and nature through a monumental figure composed of organic materials, while mad bunns invites guests into HerPlace, a soft, tactile crochet environment exploring womanhood, connection and collective space.

Retail and discovery remain at the core of the experience, with a curated marketplace featuring standout Canadian brands across fashion, jewelry and beauty including Vintage Noon, Kxtana Studios, Kanralagos, Oscar Mendoza, and Rence., offering guests the opportunity to shop directly from designers and uncover one-of-a-kind pieces.

New this season, Fashion Art Toronto introduces the HYPE ROOM — a playful, high-energy photo experience where guests step into a studio environment and are “hyped up” by members of the FAT community before their photo is captured. With layered audio moments like “OMG you look so good” and “obsessed with this fit,” the activation transforms the traditional photo-op into a performative, confidence-boosting experience.

Sun Glow Window Coverings and Sub-Zero, Wolf, and Cove present a design-forward pop-up on Thursday, May 28 from 6:30pm–8:30pm at their 280 King St E showroom, where window coverings and appliances are transformed into sculptural fashion forms.

Backstage and beyond, WANT Management partners with Fashion Art Toronto this season to scout new talent, following a casting that welcomed over 600 models from across Toronto. The agency recently signed standout model Maya Bozin, discovered through FAT’s casting process, reinforcing the platform’s role as a pipeline for emerging talent.

Beauty takes centre stage as NARS partners with Fashion Art Toronto on the unapologetic “FACE Everything” campaign — a bold fusion of beauty and fashion. Featuring standout talent including Patricia Jaggernauth, Aqyila, Carly Sarah, Yuliya Bezpalko, Meytal Algranti, and Luna DuBois. Captured by Nick Merzetti and Shayn Grey, the campaign delivers a high-impact, global-calibre production within the Fashion Playground.

Hair this season is elevated by Sebastian Professional, who take over Friday and Saturday runway programming. Renowned for boundary-pushing hair artistry, Sebastian’s team will craft bold, expressive looks that bring each collection to life.

The official beer of fashion week in Toronto, Kronenbourg 1664, continues to show up in unquestionably good taste, keeping guests refreshed all weekend long.

Guests traveling to the city can enjoy preferred rates through official hotel partner Le Germain Hotel Toronto, offering a refined stay experience in the heart of the entertainment district.

Media partners for the season include FASHION Magazine, The Kit, View The Vibe, Style Canada, Living Luxe Magazine, and Liminul Magazine, amplifying the reach and visibility of Canadian fashion across national and international audiences.

Fashion Art Toronto is supported by the City of Toronto through the Cultural Festivals Funding Program, the Government of Ontario through the Experience Ontario program, and the Ontario Arts Council through the Multi-Arts Projects grant. Internationally, FAT continues its partnership with the Goethe-Institut through the Bridge to Berlin initiative — a multi-year program supporting Canadian designers in expanding into European markets and positioning Canadian fashion on a global stage.

The full event schedule can be viewed here.

ABOUT FASHION ART TORONTO

Fashion Art Toronto is a multi-arts fashion organization celebrated for its ongoing commitment to providing inclusive platforms for Canada’s diverse fashion and artist communities. Fashion Art Toronto produces bi-annual fashion weeks and year-round programming that support designers, artists and creatives through runway shows, installations, exhibitions and retail experiences.

ABOUT MAISON PERRIER SPARKLING BEVERAGES

Maison Perrier® is a premium brand of sparkling beverages from Vergèze, in the South of France that offers a modern range of sparkling beverages, including sparkling waters and a Chic range of sophisticated mocktails, crafted by a top French Bartender from one of the world’s 50 best bars, available in Mojito, Peach Spritzer, Pina Colada, and NEW Margarita. Learn more at maisonperrier.ca or follow them on Facebook and Instagram.