Designer to watch: Rad Hourani
Homegrown hero Rad Hourani has been making headlines since becoming the first Canadian ever invited to show a couture collection during Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week.

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Why is it such a big deal? Because in France, couture is a guarded national tradition, and under French law, a collection can only be deemed haute couture if it is named so by a governing body known as the Chambre Syndicat: In order to qualify, fashion houses need to adhere to an intense set of rules, (for example, they need to produce 35 hand-sewn, made to order pieces, created by a team of at least 15 full-time employees.) It’s fantastic to see Hourani getting major recognition for his edgy, minimalist, unisex aesthetic, and we can’t wait to see his next collection.

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Designer to watch: JW Anderson
This Irish-born wunderkind has been the toast of London Fashion Week the last couple seasons, best known for his gender-bending pieces and folk-punk aesthetic. Now, with high-profile collabs with Topshop, Aldo and Versus under his belt, we think 2013 is the year that Anderson becomes a household name. Just don’t tell him that: “Being described as the ‘next big thing’ is weird,” Anderson told Interview magazine. “To some people, it may seem like I’ve suddenly appeared out of nowhere—but I’ve been dragging my hooves all over the place for a long time!” 

Designer to watch: Thomas Tait
Okay, so maybe he didn’t land that coveted gig at Balenciaga—but the fact that Thomas Tait was a front-runner for the exalted position shows he has major design chops. The Montreal-born designer is already famous for being the youngest student to ever enroll in the MA womenswear program at Central Saint Martins and has been dubbed “One to Watch” by Vogue.

Who else made the list? Find out on the next page…

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Designer to watch: Alexander Wang

Just call him the chosen one: when it was revealed Wang had been tapped for the top spot at Balenciaga, his debut at Paris Fashion Week became the hottest ticket on the fashion circuit. Wang is expected to bring his downtown vibe to the storied French house—and
whether he nails it, like Raf Simons at Dior — or divides the fashion world, like Hedi Slimane at Saint Laurent — remains to be seen. We can’t wait.


Designer to watch: Tanya Taylor

Montreal-born designer Tanya Taylor cut her teeth at Elizabeth & James, as the special collections women’s designer, and then launched her first namesake collection in 2012. Now, she’s been dubbed one to watch by
T magazine and
WWD, and already has celebrity fans (Rashida Jones was recently spotted wearing Taylor’s pieces). We love her retro floral numbers, 50’s A-line skirts and chic crop tops.

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Designer to watch: Christopher Kane

It’s been roughly five years since a major luxury group has taken a majority stake in a young designer brand—so when French giant PPR bought 51% of the shares of Scottish designer Christopher Kane’s namesake label, it spoke volumes about Kane’s talent. So what can we expect in 2013? The sky’s the limit for Kane, but it’s a sure bet that stand-alone stores and fragrances aren’t far away.


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