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May 17, 2002/ FW/ --- The Fall 2002 fashion season is Toronto showed that the city has a lot of talent to showcase.

Joeffer Caoc, among the veterans and Annie Di Lalla among those who made their debut stood out.

And though PETA might disapprove, the fur and leather that was shown by Dominic Bellissimo and the Fur Works of Canada presentations can compete with the big names in the international fashion scene in terms of looks and detailing.

The question waiting to be asked is: Why is Toronto not part of the international fashion scene?

It's definitely NOT because there is a lack of talent. Or there are no groups working to promote the young designers. The Toronto Fashion Incubator through its Executive Director Susan Langdon have been very proactive in nurturing young designers.

And with the newly organized Fashion Design Council of Canada, the designers can now speak with one voice.

Is Toronto's proximity to New York giving the city a disadvantage? I don't think so.

Paris and Milan are geographically very near each other, but both cities have a thriving fashion industry and both are very dominant in the international fashion scene.

Only four cities are considered part of the international fashion scene - New York, London, Milan and Paris. The shows also come in that order.

One common theme among the four is that each of them has an identity - the frenzy of the New York shows, the "madness" on the London runways, the sultry and seductive look of Milan and the elegance and glamour of Paris.

Each city has it's anchor designers: New York has Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein & Donna Karan; London has Paul Smith, Jasper Conran and Burberry; Milan has Gucci, Versace, Prada, Ferragamo; and with Paris - there are so many big names that it will be too long to list here.

For Toronto, it can easily be Joeffer Coac, David Dixon and Dominic Bellissimo.

And the most important of all - each of the cities has a fashion governing body, starting with the Council of Fashion Designer of America in New York, the British Fashion Council in London, the Camera Nazionale della Moda in Milan and the Chambre Syndicale in Paris.

With the creation of the Fashion Design Council of Canada, Toronto can easily have a fashion governing body also.

All the elements are there for Toronto to be a force in the fashion scene. The only question that remains is: does the City of Toronto would like to be known as a fashion capital?

If the answer is YES, then Toronto Fashion Week is going to get bigger and better each season!