The Fashion Design Council of Canada (FDCC) is a non-government, not-for-profit organization co-founded in 1999 by Pat McDonagh and Robin Kay. Their mission is to showcase Canadian fashion design nationally and internationally as well as introducing foreign designers to local Canadian markets. The FDCC aims to connect "designers, media, buyers, sponsors, and industry."
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The current president of the FDCC is one of the founders Robin Kay. Joe Mimran, fashion designer best known for creating Club Monaco and Joe Fresh, is the current chairman of FDCC's board of directors. The FDCC's head office is currently located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
The FDCC is best known for launching Toronto Fashion Week.
Robin Kay
Robin Kay was born in 1950 in Winnipeg, Canada. Kay began her career in 1976 as a fashion designer and a clothing retailer. Kay's chain of stores, which are named after her, became well known for their knitwear apparel. In 1999, Kay "lost the business to the Canadian firm Wing Son Garments, which she had taken on as a partner. In 2000, Kay was diagnosed with breast cancer.
Fashion week acquisition by IMG
On August 9, 2012, the Fashion Design Council of Canada announced that they had sold Toronto's World MasterCard Fashion Week to the global media business IMG. In a press release, Robin Kay said, "I am confident that the time is right for IMG to take World MasterCard Fashion Week to the next level." As a result of the change of ownership, Robin Kay stepped down from her position as Toronto Fashion Week executive director. Senior vice president and managing director of IMG Fashion Events and Properties, Peter Levy, states that Kay will still play a role in consulting.