It is not often you hear of someone being drafted as a linebacker for pro football and then pivoting into the fashion industry, but that is exactly what James Yurichuk, CEO of Wuxly has done.

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This one got surprisingly emotional! Melodie Reynolds is a beauty brand founder/ CEO who is breaking all the rules when it comes to makeup. Be it the marketing messages or packaging or ingredients or corporate culture Melodie is maintaining the empowering elements of adornment through beauty while breaking the traditional molds of the billion dollar industry. Follow Elate and Melodie: @elatecosmetics www.elatebeauty.com @melodieelated Follow host Donna Bishop: @thisisdonnab Follow and learn more about CAFA - Canadian Arts & Fashion Awards @cafawards

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Smash + Tess is a community, a fashion brand and the dream of mother/ daughter team Ashley Freeborn and Teresa Freeborn.

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What do you do when getting dressed is traumatizing? If you are Mahrzad Lari you face it head on. As a plus sized man since his youth Mahrzad never felt he could express himself with clothing. Flash forward to 2021 and he is disrupting the menswear industry with his label Wide the Brand. A classic, chic line of modern basics for plus sized men. Mahrzad candidly shares personal stories about his love of fashion, his experience as a plus sized man and why we should take the emotion out of size. Sound familiar?

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Victoria Hayes has become a favourite designer of Lady Gaga, Andra Day, Cardi B, Alicia Keys, Ariana Grande and many more. Hayes speaks openly about the struggles and joys of being an independent designer and candidly shares stories from her childhood in Canada through to life in NYC.

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Pauline Trigere launched her namesake label in New York City in the 1940s. A single mother, immigrant and female entrepreneur she was ahead of her time. With Trigere, she dressed some of the most famous celebrities of the day from Lena Horne to Lauren Bacall to Estee Lauder. Now, this heritage brand is in the hands of Franklin Benjamin Elman. Born in Montreal, Canada Franklin has a design career that has included many illustrious houses, including numerous years at Dior. Franklin shares the intimate stories of his childhood, the unexpected moment of his career journey and how he is honouring the legacy of Pauline as he reignites her glamorous label, Trigere.

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Rosa Halpern has garnered international praise and celebrity fans for her custom leather jackets by her label The Namesake. Rosa shares stories from her early days interning for some of American's most notable designers, how she got started designing jackets (it was bit of a fluke!) and reflects on the power of customizing clothing.

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Join Donna Bishop in an intimate discussion with global Dior Historian Dr Alexandra Palmer as they discuss the impact this iconic designer has had on fashion, culture and the French economy.

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Shayne Stephens has worn a lot of hats: from hockey player in Winnipeg, Manitoba to music writer to marketing maven to leading the opening of Saks Fifth Avenue in Canada.

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Designer Spotlight episodes are the origin stories of fashion designers. What kind of kid were they growing up? What did they submit to design school? When did clothing and fashion start to be an important force in their life? We talk about them, not their collections.

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