Erdem among nominees for Canadian Arts and Fashion Awards

Erdem among nominees for Canadian Arts and Fashion Awards (Photo London Fashion Week/Facebook)

TORONTO—Award-winning designer Erdem Moralioglu could soon be adding to his accolades at the upcoming Canadian Arts and Fashion Awards.

The acclaimed Montreal-born, London-based talent behind the Erdem label was announced as a nominee for international Canadian designer of the year on Monday night. The CAFAs honour homegrown talent within the arts and fashion community.

The red-carpet favourite, whose creations have been worn by the likes of the Duchess of Cambridge, won the award in 2015. He will face off in the category against Toronto-born, New York-based womenswear designer Tanya Taylor and rising star Vejas Kruszewski, who won the lucrative LVMH Prize for young fashion designers last year.

Womenswear nominees include the label Beaufille, helmed by sister duo Chloe and Parris Gordon, Lucian Matis, Sid Neigum, and Andrea Lenczner and Christie Smythe of Smythe.

Menswear designer of the year nominees include Christopher Bates, Bustle _ co-founded by husband-and-wife duo Shawn Hewson and Ruth Promislow _ and The Feral by Zakariah Milana.

The winners of the emerging talent awards will each take home $10,000 and receive professional mentorship from industry veterans.

Nominees in the emerging fashion design category include Malorie Urbanovitch, Matthew Gallagher, Nina Kharey of House of Nonie, and Maram Aboul Enein of Maram.

In the emerging accessory field, 3D printed jewelry creators Daniel Christian Tang will square off against luxury bag label Garema, pearl designer Jon De Porter and leather footwear label Poppy Barley.

Accessory designer of the year nominees are jewelry designers Dean Davidson, Jenny Bird and footwear and accessories brand Sully Wong.

Image maker nominees include Caitlin Cronenberg, Max Abadian and Owen Bruce.

Stylist of the year award nominees include Cary Tauben, Elizabeth Cabral and Juliana Schiavinatto.

Crista Cober, Meghan Collison, Pamela Bernier and Paolo Roldan are vying for model of the year honours.

Contenders for the fresh face of the year award include Ariel Himbeault, Elizabeth Davison, Emm Arruda and Sophie Touchet.

The fashion impact award recognizes a homegrown designer or brand that has made a significant social or philanthropic impact, while the fashion innovation award highlights a company that is influencing how people experience, consume or interact with fashion through technology.

Impact nominees are bridal and ready-to-wear designer Christopher Paunil, veteran womenswear designer David Dixon, online artisanal marketplace Far and Wide Collective and conscious clothing line Wear Your Label. Innovation nominees are Salesfloor, Dash Hudson and OMsignal.

Contenders in the digital fashion influencer category are Alexander Liang, Ania Boniecka of Ania B and sisters Caillianne and Samantha Beckerman of Beckerman Blog.

Rounding out the list are nominees for the fashion design student award where schools put forward star students in their graduating classes. Nominees include Adrian Zhao, Alex Armata, Curtis Oland and Xiaoyi Li.

Montreal-based Rami Atallah, co-founder and CEO of fashion platform SSENSE, has been appointed honorary chair of the 2017 CAFAs.

This year’s vanguard award will be given to Imran Amed, founder and CEO of The Business of Fashion.

The fourth annual CAFA gala is slated to take place on April 7 at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel in Toronto.