About
ABOUT US
About
ABOUT US
WE ARE THE FIRST FASHION ASSOCIATION IN CANADA AND WE SEE A BRIGHT FUTURE AHEAD.
As a not-for-profit, member based, organization based in Saskatoon and serving all of Saskatchewan, we are committed to developing and promoting the Saskatchewan fashion sector regionally, nationally, and internationally.
With the past work of Saskatoon Fashion and Design Festival and Saskatchewan Fashion Week we have a strong foundation for the industry to create and cultivate a dynamic and viable creative industry for our province.
Creative entrepreneurs within the sector, such as designers, models, photographers, hair stylists, makeup artists, and more will benefit through resources, programming, and showcase opportunities as we assist in the development and promotion of their creative work here at home and on a global scale.
In the spirit of reconciliation, We acknowledge and honour this land that We live and work on. We are grateful to be here on Treaty 6 Territory, the traditional territories of the Cree and Metis peoples.
Saskatchewan Fashion Association Inc. supports Black, Indigenous, and all People of Colour as they struggle to be heard, valued, and respected. SFA vows to continue to use its platform to elevate queer, trans and non-binary BIPOC voices. We are constantly evaluating our events, activities and engagement to this end and welcome community input and feedback with respect to our programming.
SFA is committed to safer spaces online and in person and what that means for us is that we are committed to being accessible to all folks. We don't tolerate racism, misogyny, homophobia, transphobia, or harassment of any kind. If you experience this in our Private Member group or anywhere else within our organization, please contact us at hello@saskfashion.com
MISSION STATEMENT
The mission of the Saskatchewan Fashion Association is to expand the awareness of Saskatchewan based fashion talent by providing education, training and showcase opportunities to the sector, thereby facilitating business growth on a regional, national, and international level.
VISION
As a provincial organization in scope, the vision of the Saskatchewan Fashion Association is to increase the viability and recognition of the fashion sector as a vital element of our economy, thus solidifying our place within the cultural identity of Saskatchewan and Canada.
Our mission is being carried forward as a newly formed association and most recently participated in a year long analysis of the province’s fashion sector, with support from Creative Saskatchewan.
SFA will investigate the potential of the fashion sector to become eligible for Creative Saskatchewan’s grant, equity and industry association funding programs. SFA will also implement programming and initiatives that the sector is demonstrating a need for.
Mandy Pravda, President
“This is a major shift for the fashion industry within Canada and we have big plans for what the future will bring for the country and the partnerships that will come, eventually on a global scale. If all goes as planned and as projected by both SFA and Creative Saskatchewan, we are creating further knowledge and data for reason to further funding avenues and access to a resource network for Saskatchewan entrepreneurs within the fashion sector. Funding and career education advancement is the biggest hurdle for most entrepreneurs. Members of SFA having access to government funding and resources will have a major impact on the economy and not only in the fashion sector,” says Mandy Pravda, President.
History
HISTORY
History
HISTORY
HOW IT STARTED
THE SEED FOR SASKATCHEWAN FASHION ASSOCIATION INC. BEGAN AS AN ANNUAL FASHION FESTIVAL, PROMOTING LOCAL DESIGNERS AND GENERATING AWARENESS FOR A GROWING INDUSTRY.
Saskatoon Fashion & Design Festival (SFDF) was founded in 2010 in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan with the purpose of forming a talent hub for the emerging design talent across the province. This was accomplished through a variety of events, including large community-oriented fashion shows and marketplaces, as well as, high-end fashion presentations.
In 2016, SFDF introduced workshops and conferences, which expanded the festival vision beyond purely generating awareness and more so on building sustainable businesses for fashion designers and the industry-at-large. The festival was committed to building awareness, sales and networking opportunities, business development, cutting edge showcases and runway events for fashion designers, boutique owners, models, stylists, and all other sector contributors. Over the years it became apparent through the voice of the community the fashion sector needed more opportunities for furthering education, funding resources, networking opportunities, marketing support, mentorship, financial planning, and business development. Saskatchewan Fashion Association was launched.
SFA’s two year strategic plan from 2021-2023 will assist in the business and funding development and promotion of Saskatchewan fashion designers. The organizations primary objectives include:
Providing resources, opportunities and a platform to showcase the fashion sector to expand member brand awareness and businesses internationally, while amplifying the local economy;
Creating ongoing awareness and programming for the sector that drives professional and personal growth and the development of an annual awards ceremony for the sector;
Creating a digital resource hub for the entire Saskatchewan sector at saskfashion.com;
Developing partnerships with funding agencies, entrepreneurial organizations, and other associations within and outside of Saskatchewan;
Conducting further research aimed to introduce the sector’s ability to apply for funding through grants and other recourses, which at this time are not available to them under the six creative sectors identified within The Creative Saskatchewan Actand The Creative Saskatchewan Regulations.
Leadership
LEADERSHIP
Leadership
LEADERSHIP
FOUNDED BY THE DUO THAT STARTED SASKATOON FASHION AND DESIGN FESTIVAL.
This duo team has 15+ years experience in the fashion industry and witnessed first hand what it takes to build a fashion business in Saskatchewan. We are here to support creatives to build careers and businesses in the fashion sector.
Mandy Pravda, President & Co-Founder
Mandy Pravda, President of the Saskatchewan Fashion Association Inc. (Cofounder of Saskatoon Fashion and Design Festival) and Lady Boss of Mane Productions, has over 15 years expertise within all aspects of event design, marketing, and publicity with a focus on building community.
Founded in 2009, Mane Productions is a national award-winning marketing firm and event management company focused on online marketing, tourism business development and community building. Mandy Pravda leads and creates many projects on an international scale for Saskatchewan and beyond. Mandy’s expertise falls within all things: public relations, promotions, growth marketing online, and business development. Since 2013, Mane Productions has excelled in Tourism Destination Development & Marketing, various sectors of Business Consulting & Development, as well as Government & International Public Relations. Given her wide range of skill sets, Mandy is a sought-after entrepreneur nationwide in developing and implementing any level of project or initiative.
Mandy was recognized in Toronto’s National Meeting + Incentive Travel Magazine in The Hall of Fame issue as the 20 Something Entrepreneur of Canada in 2013. In 2016 Mandy organized and broke The Guinness Book of World Records for the World’s Largest Snowball Fight; clocking in at 7,681 participants for Saskatchewan. In 2017 was nominated as a CBC Saskatchewan’s #IAmSask "Mighty Saskatchewanians of Today and Yesteryear" and also received a nomination in 2016, 2017 and 2018 for CBC Saskatchewan's Future 40. In 2019she launched a Canadian first, Saskatchewan Fashion Association Inc. In 2020 Mandy was named Winner of the Saskatchewan Tourism 2019 Awards of Excellent; Fred Heal Tourism Ambassador Category. In 2023 Mandy was nominated for the YWCA Women of Distinction Award; Loretta's Award.
Through business initiatives, fundraisers, large scale community events, various community space building, branding & marketing, and business development, Mandy has stimulated and fostered many social and financial economic impacts directly in Saskatchewan. www.maneproductions.ca
Jacqueline Conway, Co-Founder
Jacqueline Conway is an award-winning marketer and published fashion stylist with 10+ years experience based in Saskatoon, SK. Her professional experience includes spearheading Saskatoon Fashion and Design Festival with Mandy Pravda, launching Saskatchewan's first children's museum, Nutrien Wonderhub, driving 375,000+ people to Saskatchewan's largest music festival, SaskTel Jazz Festival, over 5 years as Marketing Director, and co-producing the largest outdoor fashion festival in Western Canada to date.
Jacqueline Conway, currently, is a marketer and brand strategist heading up the marketing and product departments at Conway Consulting. Her background in music and fashion marketing included promoting big names like John Legend, The Roots and Ms. Lauryn Hill and launching Canada's first fashion association. While leading the marketing efforts of Conway Consulting she also works closely with clients inside of the One Sale A Day Club Mentorship Program. She brings clients through her signature marketing framework called The Brand Project, which details the exact strategies she used to scale up the Conway Consulting brand to 7-figures in under 9 months.
Her professional awards and nominations include the Marquee Event of the Year for the 2016 SaskTel Saskatchewan Jazz Festival at the Tourism Saskatchewan Awards of Excellence, named an it Girl for Saskatoon in the nationally published magazine FASHION, and nominated for a Western Canadian Music Award for Impact in Music Marketing.
Under her company, TrendBlazer Studio, Jacqueline works with arts and fashion non-profits and private styling clients. It's also not uncommon finding her choreographing and training dancers in jazz in her free time or mastering the local playground scene with her two young daughters. www.trendblazer.studio
Board of Directors
Mandy Pravda (Mane Productions), President
Melissa Squire (Alchemy Clothing and Salon), Vice President
Celene Dupuis (ReVamp Salon Company), Director
Lisa Marie Schwartz (Edge Agency, Professional Model and Actor Management), Director
Harvey Viteychuk (Mee Sports), Director
Guiding Principles
GUIDING PRINCIPLES
Guiding Principles
GUIDING PRINCIPLES
To assist in the development and promotion of Saskatchewan fashion designers and all industry contributors on a provincial, national and international level;
To increase the viability and recognition of the industry as a vital element of the economy and cultural identity of the Province of Saskatchewan;
To operate with the highest levels of integrity and stewardship as ambassadors for our sector and province;
To support the growth of designers and creative entrepreneurs in reaching their business goals;
To foster a culture of inclusivity and positivity to inspire and empower our fashion sector.
Objectives
OBJECTIVES
Objectives
OBJECTIVES
As we work toward our long-term organizational goals, we plan to dive deeper into where the Saskatchewan fashion sector is at and identify how we can best serve. The following are the short-term objectives we have identified for the SFA.
#1: Offer comprehensive membership offerings and benefits to the sector.
#2: Develop a plan for further research on the Saskatchewan fashion sector, with a province-wide scope.
#3: Expand our professional network across Canada and beyond in design, marketing, media, manufacturing, and technology for the promotion and growth of Saskatchewan based talent.
#4: Research the manufacturing, distribution, and wholesale opportunities available within Saskatchewan and Canada.
#5: Create an online resource centre available to our members that provides research, directories, resources, and other relevant information.
#6: Redevelop a new event model for fashion presentation in Saskatchewan. This new event would feature a conference, showcase, marketplace and awards gala to celebrate and recognize the talented designers and contributors within our province.
#7: Develop professional development programming for the sector on the topics most needed by the community.
#8: Develop retail partnerships between boutiques and shops in Regina, Saskatoon, Prince Albert, and beyond to provide the opportunity for designers to be featured around the province.
#9: Create and foster sponsorship and mentorship opportunities for the organization and sector.
Jacqueline Conway, Vice President
“Having an association that can assist in creating opportunity for entrepreneurs to learn and expand their business without taking on mass debt and investing several years before seeing any return, and furthermore not having to leave Saskatchewan, will increase the number of industry professionals. It’s an exciting time for the fashion sector in Saskatchewan!” says Jacqueline Conway, Vice President.
FAQ
FAQ
FAQ
FAQ
#1
What is the Saskatchewan Fashion Association?
Saskatchewan Fashion Association is the non-profit, member-based organization that represents, promotes and develops the commercial fashion industry of Saskatchewan. We work for Saskatchewan designers, models, photographers, stylists, boutiques, hairstylists, makeup artists and more and the fashion industry on provincial, national and international levels. Essentially, we do as much as we can to help you get where you need to go. That means we help our members develop their skills and we provide the resources they need to succeed in the fashion sector.
We offer programming including industry listings, career consultations, workshops, marketing and export assistance, networking opportunities and much more. Our upcoming and established professionals hail from across the province, and work in pretty much every aspect of fashion you can imagine. We are a source of information and resources for both the public, and the fashion industry. If you have questions about the scene here, we can help.
#2
Why was a fashion association started?
We sent out a survey to the fashion sector in early 2019 and discovered the following:
90% are trained outside of Saskatchewan or are self taught
7% manufacture in Canada, with the vast majority manufacturing themselves
We asked what services and support designers needed most, they said:
Sales and distribution
Business planning and budget education
Branding and marketing
Funding and grants
When asked if Saskatchewan needed a Fashion Association, 100% said YES!
We discovered our fashion community needed so much more than just an annual festival, but ongoing and focused support.
#3
How will SFA make a difference for the Saskatchewan fashion industry?
We will operate by our guiding principles:
To assist in the development and promotion of Saskatchewan fashion designers and all industry contributors on a provincial, national and international level;
To increase the viability and recognition of the industry as a vital element of the economy and cultural identity of the Province of Saskatchewan;
To operate with the highest levels of integrity and stewardship as ambassadors for our sector and province;
To support the growth of designers and creative entrepreneurs in reaching their business goals;
To foster a culture of inclusivity and positivity to inspire and empower our fashion sector.
In our first year we plan to roll out and offer the following for our sector:
One-to-one career consultations
Workshops and training
Marketing support
Export and import assistance
Networking opportunities
Partnership savings
Sales spportunities
Research
Details on how this will be offered and fulfilled will be coming in November 2019.
#4
How can I get involved?
Thanks for asking! Visit our Get Involved page to learn about all the ways you you do just that!
#5
How does this effect Saskatoon Fashion and Design Festival (SFDF)?
Since the inception of SFDF in 2010, the industry’s needs have changed and evolution is key to building a sustainable fashion sector. After a decade of promoting local designers and producing events, SFDF will be on hiatus as the association will be the primary focus of the leadership team.
A major part of our two-year strategic plan is to completely reimagine a new event model for the fashion sector on a provincial level. This new event model will involve feedback from the sector and involvement from all stakeholders. We will evaluate what is best for the industry and how to make fashion events a successful endeavour for all involved.
We’d like to express our sincere gratitude and appreciation to all designers, models, agencies, creatives in hair, makeup, styling, photography, volunteers, sponsors and fans for their support over the past decade. It’s the culture of community in Saskatchewan that allowed the festival to come together and flourish. Stay tuned for further updates on programming and available workshops through SFA by subscribing to our newsletter below.
#6
Did SFDF and SFW merge to create the Saskatchewan Fashion Association?
No, each organization has always been separate. SFA is a brand new legal entity formed by the original co-founders of SFDF.
With the past work of Saskatoon Fashion and Design Festival and Saskatchewan Fashion Week we have a strong foundation for the industry to create and cultivate a dynamic and viable creative industry for our province.
#7
When is the annual general meeting (AGM)?
Our first AGM was held in March 2020. The AGM is open to all members, and newcomers. We will announce all the information through our website, newsletters and social platforms. Subscribe below to stay in the loop!
#8
Who can become a member?
Anyone can be come a member of the SFA, individuals or companies may register.
#9
I see you support fashion designers. Who would be considered a fashion contributor?
Great question!
Direct fashion industry contributors include models, agencies, makeup artists, hairstylists, photographers, fashion educators, illustrators, retailers, pattern cutters, sewers, clothing line sales representatives, wardrobe stylists, and any other professional directly involved with designing, creating, or selling clothing and accessories.
Indirect fashion industry contributors include marketing and brand agencies, bookkeepers, lawyers, accountants, etc. Basically any professional needed to support the operation of a business.
The Saskatchewan Fashion Association was founded to support all direct fashion contributors, however, indirect contributors are welcome to join as a member.