“It’s very important to support local fashion because it’s fueling the economy here,” said Kristi Soomer, founder and CEO of Encircled, a Toronto fashion house that prides itself on using almost entirely Canadian-made items. Their garment factories are less than 35 kilometres from their Toronto office, and they work with one of the only dye houses left in Ontario. “Buying local fashion creates jobs, and there are people who want these jobs and have the talent to do these jobs. Plus, we see a lot of designers who want to manufacture locally. It’s an opportunity to create a ‘refresh’ of the shopping industry as well as producing locally, and it’s more environmentally conscious.”
