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Michelle Planche, CMP
Founder & Executive Director
Art of Fashion
Executive Director/PRESIDENT
Paradigm Events Inc.
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With the desire to showcase and promote the talents of emerging Canadian fashion designers, Michelle Planche founded the Art of Fashion in 1998. The organization has since provided hundreds of designers across Canada opportunities for exposure, helping them to reach consumers, media and the fashion industry.
With a unique flare for fashion coupled with a passion for helping entrepreneurs, Michelle has successfully grown the Art of Fashion into one of Canada's leading fashion platforms.
An accomplished event specialist, Michelle launched Paradigm Events Inc. in 1996 and has built a name for herself as a strategic thinker with an ultra creative edge. In 2005, Paradigm launched a satellite office in Muskoka, Ontario. As President of Paradigm, Michelle has organized events around the globe. Industry award nods include the 2005 Canadian Event Producer of the Year award. She received nominations for the same award in 2006 and 2007.
Michelle plays an active role in both the event and fashion industries. She is on the Board of Directors of Fashion Group International and is a teacher at the Academy of Design. |
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David has worked with several charitable and not-for-profit organizations through his volunteer experience and employment. David has an educational background in accounting and psychology and is a registered Chartered Accountant with the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario. David is a strong supporter of the arts and adds financial and business process guidance, leveraged from working with over 20 organizations in his capacity as an auditor at Pricewaterhouse Coopers. He is the Treasurer for Art of Fashion. |
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Tracey Mercier
Director – Business and Brand Development
Art of Fashion
Independent Marketing, Advertising & Retail Strategist
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Career Highlights
About 7 years in Advertising, working on a range of clients: Molson, Effem Foods (Uncle Ben''s), Black's, Neilson Dairy
5 years in Financial Services as Marketing Manager for AGF Mutual Funds and BMO Mutual Funds
Over 5 years in Retail with lululemon athletica, The Bay
What attracted you to AOF
I originally became involved with AOF about 12 years ago and the main reason I became involved with the NFP remains the same today. The idea of promoting Canadian designers has always been important to me. I love fashion on so many levels; the art and discipline of design fascinates me, as well as individual style. I have always found great style and design in Canada by Canadian designers. The emphasis on fashion in Canada from an economic standpoint has always put Canadian designers at a disadvantage and they are often forced to go to the States or Europe to build their labels, if not fail completely. Again, I am passionate about fashion and design, but at the end of the day, it has to look good. We have some of the most incredible talent here that more than deliver on quality and style. I feel that it is important to do everything I can as a marketing professional to support and promote talent here. If I can help just one designer become a success at home, I will feel like I have done something important and valuable!
What has been the greatest challenge you have overcome in your career or business?
Working with lululemon in the company's early days meant that I was exposed to so many new areas in retail and business. When the company moved me out to Vancouver to launch and manage the international wholesale program and the international call centre, I was definitely swimming in a new pool, to say the least! Fortunately, I was empowered to learn best practices in both these areas and given full autonomy to build and create these two separate areas on my own. Although I was not an expert in either area, I did know the lululemon brand and it all came together. I truly believed once both areas were thriving (and continue to thrive today) that I could accomplish anything. More important than tools or training, being a part of a team that is passionate and driven to succeed, anyone can accomplish their goals. For a business or organization to succeed, there has to be a core vision and purpose that every member or employee shares.
Greatest accomplishment?
I would have to say infiltrating the US market with the lululemon brand in the eastern states, Boston, New York and Chicago through wholesale was one of my most significant accomplishments. In a much larger, more saturated and competitive market, I definitely had my job cut out for me in convincing Equinox, Reebok Sports Clubs and Exhale Spas, that lululemon athletica was the brand they needed to sell in their retail outlets. Beginning the programas a test in just a few stores proved invaluable and far ahead of schedule, we rolled out the program across the country within 6 months. It was a huge challenge and resulted in extraordinary success for the brand and for lululemon athletica. |
Stacy Anderson
Director
Art of Fashion |
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Stacy Anderson has more than five years experience in the planning and design of marketing strategies for companies in Canada and Europe. She holds an Honours Bachelor of Business from Wilfrid Laurier University, and a Masters in Strategic Fashion Marketing from London College of Fashion.
Stacy has worked in Canada, the United Kingdom and Denmark in communications, branding and public relations capacities for companies in the fashion, luxury, fine wine, creative design, and architecture industries. She has contributed articles and presentations at international conferences on the relationship between architecture and fashion, as well as sustainability and branding theory.
Stacy has been with Art of Fashion for three years, and provides marketing and business development support throughout the organization. |
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Ayfer Samancioglu
Director
Art of Fashion
Creative Director / Graphic Designer
Saman Design Inc.
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Ayfer has been working with a not-for-profit organization for over 12 years as a board member. She has an educational background in Graphic Design. She also holds and Bachelor of Arts from M.S. Fine Arts University in Istanbul, Turkey.
Ayfer has her own design studio with her partner in Toronto. For over 20 years she has been working as a Creative Director at Saman Design Inc. Her well known clients are mostly from event management field, art galleries, artists, museums such as AGO, ROM, MOCCA and one of a kind retail stores.
Before moving to Toronto, Ayfer worked in Fashion Advertising field for 8 years as a Graphic Designer and a production manager in Istanbul. She also did photo shoots of the models to capture the fashion trends of different countries.
Ayfer is a strong supporter of the arts and film. She had interviews during the TIFF and she loves to promote them through the multi media. She contributed articles, critiques and presentations at conferences on movies and actors/singers.
She has love for Art, Fashion, Cinema and Photography.
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