COVID-19 prevented Fashion Art Toronto, the city’s largest annual multi-arts fashion festival, from hosting their annual event in April, but it hasn’t stopped them. As always, the innovative team of creatives behind the groundbreaking boundary-pushing event have found a way to push on—and it’s very exciting. 

Starting next Monday, Fashion Art Toronto will take the runway to the streets, documenting Canadian designers showing off their collections around town, on sidewalks and in back alleys. The virtual presentations will be shared live every Monday and Friday evening this summer via Fashion Art Toronto’s Instagram as well as their YouTube channel.

“As creatives, it’s in our nature to innovate and reinvent, especially in the face of challenges. The Fashion Art Toronto team came together to create an alternative online runway series so that we could provide a creative, captivating and safe platform for fashion designers to share their artist vision,” said Vanja Vasic, founder and executive director of Fashion Art Toronto. “Since we weren’t able to host our traditional event this past April, it’s more important than ever to keep our community active, engaged and connected.”

The press announcement shares that “production and filming of the shows will feature a limited in-person crew and not permit any guests on-site”. To adhere to social distancing rules, models will be doing their own hair/makeup at home, and everyone will be given masks and hand sanitizer. It’s a show unlike any before. 

“We’ve put together a dynamic schedule of virtual runway shows from five talented designers who are expanding boundaries around gender norms, sharing sustainable alternatives and who are creatively using fashion to make powerful social statements.”

The first show will take place on Monday, June 22, at 8 p.m. EST and feature Mic Carter/L’uomo Strano. For full schedule and designer info, head to the Fashion Art Toronto site.