In a sold-out event, the “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style,” fashion show featured the work of six Black designers. Hosted by the Toronto Metropolitan University Black Fashion Student Association (BFSA) at 918 Bathurst (an arts and culture center in the Annex), the Friday show’s theme was inspired by the MET Gala’s 2025 exhibition theme of the same name.
Attended by around 80 people, including TMU students, staff and local influencers, the show was sponsored by the TMSU Centre for Fashion & Systemic Change and the AnnKM Fashion and Social Impact Initiative. BFSA co-presidents Ashanti Mesha Morgan and Cali Greenidge are both fourth-year students, so it isn’t confirmed if this will become a new annual tradition. But they hope that by taking this first step, they have set the groundwork for future BFSA members.
The BFSA wrote on the Eventbrite page that this show, held during Black History Month, “explores the purpose and power of Black fashion beyond the constraints of colonial and white gaze ideals” and “critiques how Black style has been historically reshaped to align with Eurocentric norms.” The collections “respond to these provocations and redefine what tailoring Black style means to them.”
The main BFSA members organizing the event consisted of Morgan, Greenidge, graphic designer Juleah Garcia, finance manager Zachat Ochalefu, head of events and outreach Stecy Helena Franck and social media manager Daniah Spence. In conversations with Morgan, Greenidge and Franck, they all emphasized how important it was that this event was helmed by six Black women. Franck said, “These are my sisters.”
Ife Uwadiunor is a Nigerian fashion designer, and the founder of Fica Couture and Fica Braids. Given her experience as a hairstylist, Uwadiunor (second from the left) also helped the team create elaborate and “creative” styles for the models. “My inspiration is [historical] African hairstyles. So I’m taking inspiration from there and just making it editorial runway style,” she said. (OTR/Haley Sengsavanh)
The designers, volunteers and models were selected based on an open call promoted on the BFSA Instagram page. “I’m absolutely shocked by the reach we ended up actually having…We had a designer from Ghana who submitted incredible work,” Greenidge said. “When it came to finding volunteers, makeup artists, performers, the DJ, everyone was so interested in being a part of this, which was such a surprise. It was really amazing to see people show up for Toronto’s Black fashion scene.” (OTR/Haley Sengsavanh)
Château Neuf was founded in 2018 by Navern Nash-Longshaw (second from the right), after receiving public interest for the accessories she made for herself. Bethann Boyce (second from the left) is the fashion coordinator, who also modelled for the brand during this show. Nash-Longshaw’s younger sister, Kharis Chin (far left), serves as creative director. “She makes everything by hand; the materials that you see with the hat, the intricate flowers,” Chin said, “I’m her biggest supporter.” (OTR/Haley Sengsavanh)
Grace Olanrenwaju is the designer behind Isio Clothing by Shop Jetroe. During fittings, she sewed model GJ Williams into the top, ensuring it fit perfectly at the shoulder blades. “Seeing the designers with their pieces and getting everyone ready was really special to see. I think just seeing how committed everyone was to getting this done was such a highlight,” Greenidge said. (OTR/Haley Sengsavanh)
918 Bathurst is a centre for culture, arts, media and education. The runway show was held in their “Sanctuary” room, which features natural redwood and a cathedral ceiling. Morgan, who lived on Bathurst Street, said she always passed by the venue and dreamt of hosting an event here. (OTR/Haley Sengsavanh)
One of Franck’s (second from the left) responsibilities was working with the designers to create a lineup that would allow the 16 rotating models enough time for quick changes in between collections. “Since I moved here, I have not seen a Black-centered Black fashion show,” she said. “So I think it was pretty cool to… create that space, not only for Black people, but for anyone who was willing to just witness Black fashion.” (OTR/Haley Sengsavanh)
The entire show was student-run, which was something that impressed the Château Neuf team. “We did mention when we were talking with another designer that we didn’t know there was no faculty down here, which was, I feel like a bonus to them,” Boyce said. “They had their ship running. I’ve never seen so many volunteers at the fashion show before.” Nash-Longshaw added, “So in a nutshell, they owned it.” (OTR/Haley Sengsavanh)
Carel Kabamba is a Congolese multi-disciplinary artist who only started designing pieces for her label, Miss Kabamba, last May. For this show, she showcased three looks, including this ensemble that features a “fun animal-style” hat. “The reason why I made the line Unapologetically Me is because I believe my pieces are very unique. I’m someone who’s really inspired by things that are colorful and different,” she said. (OTR/Haley Sengsavanh)
The show was promoted with posters on TMU campus, and with videos on their Instagram page asking students what Black style means to them. But their reach went way beyond what Morgan and Greenidge expected, finding out later that a journalism professor from Humber Polytechnic had encouraged students to cover this show. (OTR/Haley Sengsavanh)
Morgan and Greenidge took to the stage before the show started, thanking the audience for attending the show. “It is reading week, but we have not touched assignments [or] anything self-care wise. We poured our whole selves into it,” Morgan said. “I think it’s really paid off. I’m really proud and I hope we continue to grow from this.” (Photo courtesy Humber Et Cetera/Julia-Marie Ilano)
The show began with a clip from The Sound of Soul (1968), a documentary following Nina Simone’s performance in London, U.K. The video continued with more clips highlighting prominent moments in Black pop culture and fashion, including Beyoncé’s “Hold Up” music video. (OTR/Haley Sengsavanh)
After the video presentation, Deborah Akinlosotu, a second-year psychology student, performed Aretha Franklin’s “I Say a Little Prayer.” Halfway through the show, she took to the stage again to sing a rendition of “All I Ask” by Adele. “I was actually ridiculously honored to be part of this. I know I’m just [performing during] short breaks… but it’s very important,” she said. “In terms of big events like this…every person, regardless of their role, is very important for putting things together.” (Humber Et Cetera/Julia-Marie Ilano)
This Fica Couture collection reflected Uwadiunor’s desire to create more wearable versions of traditional African styles. Her approach uses traditional fabrics to create garments with functional silhouettes. (OTR/Haley Sengsavanh)
The pieces that Kabamba showcased represented her personality and her interpretation of Tailoring Black Style. “I almost didn’t sign up after seeing the theme… I didn’t know what it meant to tailor Black style, because when I create pieces, I’m not thinking only [of] Black models. I think of creating clothes that I like, that’s simply it,” she said. “Here I am trying to fit in a box and really try to understand what Black style really means. Until I realized I am Black style because I am literally a fashionista.” (OTR/Haley Sengsavanh)
Shop Jetroe is an e-commerce website founded in 2018 with the goal of supporting the community. They source materials directly from the “motherland,” Africa, and work with local Black-owned businesses. The various brands available on their site, including Isio Clothing, align with Shop Jetroe’s vision of sharing “Africa’s ancestral roots.” (OTR/Haley Sengsavanh)
A Boy Born on Monday was founded by TMU Fashion alumni Max Twum-Antwi in 2020. His showcase featured streetwear elements, including jerseys emblazoned with “ABBOM,” the acronym of his brand name, and “JOJO,” his middle name. (OTR/Haley Sengsavanh)
TMU Fashion Program Advisory Council member Jeffrey Kong, MJ Appugliesi and The Chang School lecturer Iris Simpson had reserved seats next to each other. During the show, guests were prompted to use the circulating disposable cameras to take a photo of themselves and pass it on to the next person. (OTR/Haley Sengsavanh)
This is the third fashion show that Zimbabwean designer Mufaro Mukoki and her eponymous brand have been featured in. The Faceless Collection was inspired by the refugee experience, and connected to her Masters degree thesis research into empathy at OCAD University. “You don’t know people’s stories when you come to a different country. People don’t usually care to know what you’re experiencing,” she said. “It’s scary that people don’t know anything about you, you’re just a faceless number.” (OTR/Haley Sengsavanh)
When asked about what she hoped the audience would take away from her collection, Nash-Longshaw said her goal was to elevate high fashion. “They’re trying to get it back, but there’s so much resistance,” she said. “They’ve taken it to another direction that I don’t think is flattering to women, so my job is to let them know that we can get it back to where it’s supposed to be.” (OTR/Haley Sengsavanh)
After the show, there was a scheduled “Chat Time” for guests to mingle with the organizers, designers and each other. “We’re always trying to grow our community. We also made sure that our volunteer staff [could] get their hours. They could come meet each other and meet designers that they could maybe work for. [We were] really trying to create that network,” Greenidge said. (OTR/Haley Sengsavanh)
Outside the doors to the runway space, a table with colourful sticky notes and markers were set up next to questions intended to prompt deeper reflections with the audience. “[We are] not just talking about, ‘Oh, that was pretty, that was nice.’ But what do you want to see? Don’t just consume it. Interact with it, engage with it, critique it,” Morgan said. “I hope this event and the way it was formatted represents [that].” (OTR/Haley Sengsavanh)
As guests began to leave, the event organizers and volunteers helped clean up the backstage area. “As a Black woman, to be in spaces where I see so many different niches being carried by different Black people is very important to me,” Akinlosotu said. “We can literally do anything. Obviously, your parents tell you that and you hear it, but to see it actually in motion is very beautiful.” (OTR/Haley Sengsavanh)
