Scene & Heard: Mercedes-Benz Start Up wraps countrywide search

Which of the 8 MBSU designers will rule the runway for Toronto Fashion Week?

Mercedes-Benz Start Up, Canada’s premier ongoing program for emerging fashion designers, has completed its cross-country search for the next generation of talent with stops in Calgary, Winnipeg, Laval and Kitchener.

After hosting semi-final runway shows in each of the four cities, the finalists are:

Hilary and Louanna Murphy, Dreamboat Lucy (Calgary, AB)
Malorie Urbanovitch, Malorie Urbanovitch Women’s RTW (Calgary, AB)
Cecile Raizonville, Matiére Noire (Laval, QC)
Pedram Karimi, PEDRAM KARIMI (Laval, QC)
Eliza Faulkner, Eliza Faulkner Designs (Winnipeg, MB)
Hussein Dhalla, HD Homme (Kitchener, ON)
Jonathan Shimoni, Faded Lifestyle (Kitchener, ON)

The national judges’ panel also chose Carlos Fogelman from HIP AND BONE for a wild card spot at the group runway show finale at World MasterCard Fashion Week in Toronto in October.

Over the next few months the eight designers will receive intensive mentoring sessions with successful fashion industry professionals as they prepare their Spring/Summer 2014 collections.

The Awarded Designer, will be named at the finale in October and will receive continued mentorship from industry experts and a solo runway show at World MasterCard Fashion Week in March 2014, along with an editorial feature in FASHION Magazine.

Past awarded designers are  MARTIN LIM and DUY.