Geographica 16
Geographica 16 Taylor Brydges Made in Canada The strategies, spaces and working lives of independent designers in the Canadian fashion system Dissertation presented at Uppsala University to be publicly examined in University Hall Room IV, Biskopsgatan 3, Uppsala, Friday, 15 September 2017 at 13:15 for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. The examination will be conducted in English. Faculty examiner: Associate Professor Susanne Reimer (University of Southampton). Abstract Brydges, T. 2017. Made in Canada. The strategies, spaces and working lives of independent designers in the Canadian fashion system. Geographica 16. 88 pp. Uppsala: Department of Social and Economic Geography, Uppsala University. ISBN 978-91-506-2644-5. Drawing on 87 interviews with independent fashion designers and key informants, this thesis is a collection of papers which aim to explore the strategies, spatial dynamics and working lives of independent fashion designers in the Canadian fashion industry. The majority of fashion design firms in Canada are small independent businesses, typically run by an individual or pair of designers, with few employees. Independent fashion designers create unique small businesses, produce high quality garments defined by the label ‘made in Canada,’ strategically mobilize physical and virtual spaces within the national system, and yet, the long-term viability of these businesses is far from certain. The Canadian fashion industry is facing a number of systemic challenges relating to wider institutional and policy weaknesses that make it difficult to grow a long-term domestic or international fashion business. However, the findings also suggest that a key strength of the Canadian fashion system is that it offers a variety of spaces for designers of different sizes, scales, and motivations.
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