10 Calgary Designers to Watch: Haithem Elkadiki

Label: KaaDiki
Signature Style: Preppy menswear with a dose of sex appeal.

Inspired by world and electronic music such as Kraftwerk and the Pet Shop Boys, Libyan-born, Toronto-bred, Calgary-based Haithem Elkadiki designs slim silhouettes for body-conscious guys with attitude. His European-influenced apparel may seem fashion-forward for Calgary, which Elkadiki considers a blank canvas, but his designs are all about practicality. “You can look cool and edgy and have fashion function for your life,” says Elkadiki, who opts for wash-and-wear cotton as his fabric of choice. “Sometimes fashion can be too precious.”

Kaadiki.com

Maria Orduz Pinto
Label: Maria Orduz Pinto
Signature Style: Cocktail dresses inspired by architecture and detailed with bold asymmetrical seams

Sarah Shell
Label: 442 McAdam
Signature Style: High-end handbags designed with Bohemian elegance

Colleen Pound
Label: Fleur Féminine
Signature style: Classic, tailored career wear for the curvy woman sizes 12 to 24

Caitlin Power
Label: Caitlin Power
Signature Style: Dresses, jumpsuits and separates for the edgy career woman 

Devon Clark
Label: Devon Clark Metal Design
Signature style: Handmade art deco-style jewellery with colourful enamel detailing

Leo Casuga Jr.
Label: Details by Leo Casuga Jr.
Signature style: Street couture for the young professional, with funky bowties and ascots

Adejoke Taiwo
Label: ÀLALÁ
Signature Style: Structured separates and dresses in African prints

Laura George
Label: Laura George
Signature Style: Modern bridal wear that is heavy on romance, with a hint of costume design

Lara Presber
Label: Lara Presber Clothing
Signature style: Architecture-inspired women’s wear in environmentally friendly fabrics