CAFA ceremony celebrates Canadian fashion's fresh faces and veterans

Just a few blocks from where the Toronto Raptors beat the Golden State Warriors last night, a few other Canadians were enjoying a home-court advantage.

Designers, social media influencers, photographers and fashion industry leaders gathered for the annual Canadian Arts and Fashion Awards in Toronto on Thursday night tocelebratesuccesses in the world of art and design.

This year, the ceremony honoured a number of recipients who challenge conventional standards of fashion and beauty, andaddress issues outside the fashion world.

Designers Sid Neigum and Aurora James,British ColumbiamodelsKrow Kianand Tasha Tilberg, and labels Mackageand Matt & Nat were among the winners celebrated.

Tilberg, once extremely popular as a model in the 1990s, won Model of the Year,26 years after the start of her career.Kian,nowone of the world's most sought-after transgender models, has worked for Louis Vuitton in both themen's and women's lines.He was namedCAFA'sFresh Face of the Year.

"There is definitley a lack of trans-male models," said Kian."So to be representing people from all around the world and from the trans community has been just amazing to be ...that role model for people."

Toronto-born James, founder of the sustainability-minded footwear and accessories line Brother Vellies, was honoured asInternational Canadian Designer, an award that celebrates a Canadian achieving success on the world stage. Brother Vellies attempts to sustain the craft of shoemaking in Africaby creating such jobs inSouth Africa, Ethiopia, Kenya and Morocco.

Montreal-basedHannah Rose Daltonand Steven Raj Bhaskaran, who run the popular Instagram account Fecal Matter, were given the Digital Fashion Influencer of the Year Award. Using makeup and prosthetics, the two designers create inventiveand sometimes shocking images to a follower base of nearly 500,000.

Other winners include Quebec's Thierry-Maxime Loriot,presentedwith the Vanguard Award by fashion designers Viktor & Rolf "in recognition of his significant contributions to the creative community."

Loriot is the former model-turned-curator behind the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts' blockbuster fashion exhibitions, including the recent Thierry Mugler: Couturissime and 2011's The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gautier, which toured to museums around the world for five years.

Also recognized was photographer Douglas Kirkland, known for his images of celebrities from Marilyn Monroe, Andy Warhol and Brigitte Bardot, to Audrey Hepburn, Angelina Jolie and Leonardo DiCaprio. CAFA organizers recognized the Fort Erie, Ont.-born Kirkland's career with its award for outstanding achievement.

"I love it and I still work. I'm in my mid-80's," said Kirkland,"and I'm still working every day and enjoying it."

Neigum scooped up two prizes Thursday: Womenswear Designer of the Year and the Suzanne Rogers Designer Grant for International Development, which comes with $20,000.The Alberta-born, Toronto-based artistis a past winner of CAFA's emerging designer honour.

Past CAFA winners have included designers Erdem Moralioglu, Joe Mimran, Jason Wu, Dean and Dan Caten, labels such as Greta Constantine and Beaufille,and model Coco Rocha.

Canadian Arts and Fashion Awards 2019 winners

• WomenswearDesigner of the Year: Sid Neigum.
• Menswear Designer of the Year:: Christopher Bates.
• Emerging talent, fashion: Marie-ve Lecavalier.
• Emerging talent, accessories: Corey Moranis.
• Accessory Designerof the Year:Dean Davidson.
• Outerwear Brandof the Year:Mackage.
• Fashion Innovation Award: Focals by North.
• Fashion Design Student Award: Marie-Eve Aubry.
• Imagemakerof the Year:Max Abadian.
• Stylistof the Year:Cary Tauben.
• Fresh Face (emerging model)of the Year:Krow Kian.
• Model of the Year:Tasha Tilberg.
• Fashion Impact Award: Matt & Nat.
• Digital Fashion Influencerof the Year:Fecal Matter.
• Sustainability Award: KOTN.
• Makeup Artist of the Year: Hung Vanngo.
• Hair Artistof the Year:Harry Josh.