Sustainable designer celebrates Edmonton's textile history at Vancouver Fashion Week
Maria Augusta of Augusta Fashion and Textiles will debut her new collection, 54°N, at Vancouver Fashion Week this month. "This collection is rooted in the history of garment making in Edmonton, pulling that nostalgic thread into something contemporary and alive," an April 6 press release reads. Augusta's designs are a celebration of slow fashion and sustainably sourced textiles. "Our mission is to subvert the ever more present and serious issues, both ethically and environmentally, that exist in the fashion sector," as she says on her website. Her pieces often subvert the expectations of sustainable garments by presenting bright colours and vibrant prints. "We like to call it 'Dressing for being and not just having,'" Augusta told Taproot in 2024, when she was known as Maria Wozniak. "We're trying to create clothing that is timeless and that you can have for many years to come."
Edmonton has historically been a hub for textile manufacturing, being the birthplace of the Great Western Garment Company in 1911. Levi's purchased 75% of the company in the 1960s, and the brand saw continued success until the 1980s, when factories began to close. Edmonton's original GWG plant shuttered in 2004. Edmonton was also home to custom suit maker LaFlèche Bros., which shut its doors in 2007 after 100 years in business.
Augusta referenced these brands as she pieced her new collection together. "Through the Anne Lambert Museum and the Provincial Archives, we've been researching clothing made in Edmonton," she posted, referring to the clothing and textiles collection at the University of Alberta. "Canadian fashion has a deeper history than most people realize — and uncovering it feels both grounding and exciting." Augusta's Vancouver Fashion Week show will take place on April 11 at 7:30pm at the Chinese Cultural Centre of Greater Vancouver in the city's historic Chinatown neighbourhood.
