A fashion pop-up filled with Canadian designers is coming to Toronto this week

A bi-annual marketplace pop-up showcasing fashion designers from across Canada, INLAND, is celebrating its 10th anniversary at Toronto’s CF Eaton Centre this week. Shoppers can peruse over 40 one-of-a-kind collections on the mall’s third floor level. This year’s designer lineup will include women’s and men’s apparel, swimwear, jewelry, footwear, bags and accessories. 

Since founder Sarah Power launched INLAND in 2014, the event has helped bring exposure to over 500 Canadian fashion and accessory labels, many of which are limited edition and typically only available online. Designers have traveled from all over the country to participate, including labels from Calgary, Winnipeg and Vancouver, Halifax and Montreal. While in Toronto, they’re encouraged to network and host client meetings in the space to grow their businesses. 

“There’s a really interesting mix of  returning designers and new designers this year, which is always so surprising to me,” says Powers, “because I always think, ‘When’s the year that I’m going to run out of new brands?’ But nope, there’s always new designers emerging in Canada.”

She’s particularly excited about “Love Notes,” the collaborative collection by Toronto designers Diana Coatsworth and Tiffany Pratt which features expressions of self-affirmation and love on upcycled fabrics. Shoppers can also anticipate noteworthy collections from Heirloom Hats, Amanda Maria, Bustle Clothing, Christopher Bates, Golshaah, LLiM and Trèsolz.

Over the years the marketplace has shifted form, sometimes lasting as long as a month and bouncing around the city to pop up at venues like QRC West, Bayview Village, the former Club Monaco flagship in Yorkville and now Eaton Centre. Wherever it lands, its main goals are to promote conscious consumerism by championing local and ethical designers, and fostering community within the Canadian fashion scene. 

“The Eaton Centre isn’t the place that you would normally find local design, so I feel like it’s disrupting the traditional mall shopper’s experience, which is really cool,” says Powers. “And I think we’re at a moment in time where everybody is looking to think differently about fashion, but they’re not necessarily sure where to go or how to do it. This is where they can start.”

For the second year, INLAND has also partnered with Fashion at The Creative School, Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) to showcase student collections. This year will see eight fashion emerging designers participate.

“This is not only an excellent opportunity for our fashion students to network and gain exposure but also for Toronto to witness the thoughtful creativity, drive and values that underpin fashion education at Toronto Metropolitan University,” School of Fashion chair, Joseph Medaglia, said in a release.

INLAND will be open to shoppers May 9-11, 10 a.m.-9 p.m. and May 12, 11 a.m.-7 p.m. You can explore the full line-up of designers here.