Canadian-born (now London-based) clothing designer Thomas Tait in his studio in London England on December 20, 2010
Jim Ross for The Globe and Mail
Canadians Changing the World
The beautifiers
From Saturday's Globe and Mail
Published
Last updated
Is there a Canadian aesthetic? One that stretches across artistic disciplines? It's an intriguing question, especially in the context of this group - architects, choreographers and fashion designers. Their styles range from the understated, to the ethereal, to the boundary-breaking. What do they share? The passionate pursuit of a more beautiful world
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Thomas Tait: Couture's demure rookie
Canadian-born (now London-based) clothing designer Thomas Tait in his studio in London England on December 20, 2010 — Jim Ross for The Globe and Mail
For better or worse, the fashion world is obsessed with newness, whether a striking model, an outrageous shoe or a novel way to apply nail polish. Each year, a fresh crop of young designers “emerge,” become the darlings du jour only to discover that they can't sustain the buzz, the business or both. Since February, when he premiered his women's collection at London Fashion Week, Thomas Tait, a 23-year-old from Hudson, Que., has established himself as a formidable talent who is poised to be a major presence in the industry. Just don't go rushing off to the nearest mall looking for his clothes. In fact, his impeccably constructed women's wear won't hit stores until next fall and even then, he intends to limit availability to a few select retailers.
It's a reflection of Mr. Tait's sensibility, one that eschews in-your-face statements for sublime precision and in-person appreciation. It's what convinced judges such as Manolo Blahnik and fashion muse Daphne Guinness that Mr. Tait should win the inaugural Dorchester Collection Fashion Prize, an award of £250,000 funded by the luxury hotel group and announced this past October. “What an incredible couture mind,” Mr. Blahnik has said of Mr. Tait.
Canadian fashion journalist and historian Bronwyn Cosgrave, who chaired the prize, has gone so far as to compare Mr. Tait to the late Alexander McQueen. The designer questions the endorsment – and not out of modesty. “It's too sensitive; London is still in mourning,” he explains in a phone interview from his studio. “No one can fill those shoes and do what he did and no one wants to.… The reason why [fashion] happens every six months is because you have something new to say. Obviously, I'm flattered, but my approach is different from the way [McQueen] did his work.”
A graduate of LaSalle College in Montreal, Mr. Tait is not the first Canadian fashion designer who has launched his career out of London. Like Todd Lynn, Erdem Moralioglu and Mark Fast, he travelled across the pond for the prestigious master's program at Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design.
He was recently selected to receive the British Fashion Council's NEWGEN sponsorship, which, through the support of high-street chain Topshop, covers the costs involved in staging a runway show. This relieves Mr. Tait of much of the pressure involved in launching a ready-to-wear label.
He remains realistic about growing too quickly. “It's nice to know that I'm still at that point where I can turn off my phone and work on a pattern for the next four hours. I might not be able to say that in two years. I still have time to be doing what I love doing, which is making clothes.”
– Amy Verner
For more on Thomas Tait:
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Pina Ferlisi, 44
Fashion designer
The apprentice: The Toronto expat worked alongside Marc Jacobs back when he introduced his unforgettable grunge collection for Perry Ellis in 1993 and then again when he launched his Marc by Marc offshoot. When hired by the Gap as an executive vice-president 10 years later, she was singled out for infusing the brand with a more trend-driven sensibility.
West-end girl: Ms. Ferlisi grew up in Toronto's west end and knew by the age of 13 that she wanted to be a designer. She attended Sheridan College before moving to New York. Her CV also includes stints at Tommy Hilfiger, Coach and, most recently, Generra, a lesser-known contemporary label.
Her 2011 moment: Last June, four months after the death of renowned British designer Alexander McQueen, she was named creative director of his secondary line, McQ, (the designer had flown her to London the previous November so they could meet). The new gig will test whether she can honour Mr. McQueen's unparalleled edge while making the label her own. His fans can decide when her first collection hits stores in June.
– Amy Verner
Pina Ferlisi on the runway after her Generra fall 2007 show in New York City at Bryant Park's Salon on February 5, 2007. — The Associated Press
When hired by the Gap as an executive vice-president 10 years later, she was singled out for infusing the brand with a more trend-driven sensibility
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Jack Diamond, 78
Principal architect, Diamond + Schmitt
Substance over style: He won the prestigious right to design the $450-million New Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, Russia, after an earlier design was scrapped. In an era of flashy “starchitect” designs, his reputation for buildings of understated elegance that work acoustically and stay on budget caught the eye of Mariinsky artistic director Valery Gergiev.
Greatest hits: An Oxford-educated native of Piet Retief, South Africa, he helped to found Diamond + Schmitt in Toronto in 1975. Some of his more highly admired designs include the Israeli Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem, Toronto's Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, and the Harman Centre for the Arts in Washington, D.C.
His 2011 moment: By the time the year winds down, Mr. Diamond must have completed major construction of the 2,000-seat Mariinsky, Russia's new cultural jewel paid for entirely by the government and driven by senior officials, including Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, a native of St. Petersburg. Back home, his new concert hall for the Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal is to open on Sept. 7.
– James Bradshaw
In photos:
Renderings of the new Marinsky Opera House in St. Petersburg
For more on Jack Diamond:
Design students step up to make stairwells more inviting
A bridge between knowledge and healing
From Toronto with love, a new theatre for St. Petersburg
To see Jack Diamond in action:
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David Wilson, 43
Figure-skating choreographer
Sharp blade: He's the choreographer who created the Olympic gold-medal routines of South Korean star Yu-Na Kim, who racked up the highest scores in the history of women's figure skating. Mr. Wilson is tops in Canada, as the choreographic developer of skaters such as Joannie Rochette and Jeffrey Buttle. But he has also designed programs for international heavyweights Jeremy Abbott and Alissa Czisny of the United States, Miki Ando and Nobunari Oda of Japan, Kiiri Korpi of Finland, and Pang Qing and Tong Jian of China.
A winding track: Mr. Wilson dreamed of being an architect, but became a skater before quitting with a bum knee. At 18, he started skating with Ice Capades, where he developed his appreciation for expression. He was a coach before discovering a taste for choreography.
His 2011 moment: The world will be watching in March when Kim reappears for the first time this season at the world figure skating championships in Tokyo, skating to two new Wilson programs – without any sort of preparatory competition. Can she pull it off? Also, Mr. Wilson is trying to resurrect the career of Frenchman Brian Joubert, who reached the nadir of his career at the Vancouver Olympics, finishing 18th as one of the favourites.
– Beverley Smith
Tough guy and ex-NHL player, Tie Dome and "Tuffy" Christine Hough-Sweeney skate together in practice for the CBC's Battle of the Blades with choreographer David Wilson— Peter Power/The Globe and Mail
For more on David Wilson:
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Crystal Pite, 40
Choreographer, dancer. Founder, Kidd Pivot
Body electric: Ms. Pite creates edgy works that stretch the abilities of the body, fusing classical dance elements with a strong theatrical sensibility. The pieces are complex and often funny, accessible audience-pleasers that appeal to casual fans and aficionados alike. Among her most celebrated works is Dark Matters, starring a troublesome marionette, which she presented at the Venice Biennale in 2010.
Have slippers will travel A B.C. native, Ms. Pite joined Ballet B.C. in Vancouver at 17. She has since created works for Netherlands Dance Theatre I, the National Ballet of Canada, Alberta Ballet and many others. In 1996, she joined Ballet Frankfurt.
She returned to Canada as resident choreographer with Les Ballets Jazz de Montréal, and in 2001, founded Kidd Pivot in Vancouver. In 2010, she began the residency at Frankfurt's Mousonturm company – a partnership that has meant steady funding, giving her the freedom to experiment.
Her 2011 moment The world premiere of an as-yet-untitled piece at Mousonturm, an event that will be watched closely across Europe.
– Marsha Lederman
For more on Crystal Pite:
Teamwork and guts, stumbles and bums
Back from the brink, Ballet BC rebrands itself as contemporary
Crystal Pite's Kidd Pivott (video)
