The 2021 Cashmere Collection: NEW Belle Époque runway show recently celebrated its 18th year, showcasing bathroom tissue couture by a lineup of 16 Canadian designers including Brampton's Anisha Kumar, Calgary's FAUN, Toronto's Atelier Volpe and more. Envisioning a future without breast cancer, the designers created intricate and bold pieces that were unveiled in a COVID-friendly and safe presentation, made possible by Kruger Products, the makers of Cashmere.
The runway presentation was also captured for Bell Media's recent Cashmere Couture for the Cure television special on CTV, hosted by The Social’s Melissa Grelo and Etalk’s Tyrone Edwards. The special highlighted the creativity and craftmanship behind each of this year's looks while also featuring commentary from stylist and Cashmere Curator Joe Zee.
"The highly anticipated kickoff to October’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the Cashmere Collection heralds the annual return of Cashmere’s awareness and fundraising activities for the cause. This includes a twenty five cent donation from the purchase of each specially marked package of Cashmere sold throughout the month of October (up to maximum of $50,000), towards breast cancer efforts at both the Canadian Cancer Society (CCS) and the Quebec Breast Cancer Foundation. Canadians will also be invited to vote for their favourite Bathroom Tissue Couture creation at Vote Couture for the Cure® on Facebook.com/Cashmere throughout October and join the conversation on social media using #Cashmere21. Cashmere will donate $1 for every vote (to a maximum of $10,000), to the CCS’s breast cancer efforts in the winning designer’s name."
Charitable Bathroom Tissue Runways
The 2021 Cashmere Collection: NEW Belle Époque Embodies Glamour
Trend Themes
1. Sustainable Fashion for a Cause - The Cashmere Collection runway show highlights the potential of fashion made from unconventional materials for charity causes.
2. Online Voting for Social Good - Vote Couture for the Cure® allows for increased engagement and fundraising potential for breast cancer organizations through online voting for bathroom tissue couture designs.
3. Television as a Platform for Charity Events - Cashmere Couture for the Cure television special on CTV highlights the creative and skilled designs in the Cashmere Collection while promoting fundraising through donations and voting during October's Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
Industry Implications
1. Sustainable Fashion - The use of bathroom tissue materials could lend itself to sustainable fashion and couture design, and a competitive market for sustainable fashion could disrupt the broader fashion industry.
2. Online Engagement - Online charitable fundraising efforts, such as Vote Couture for the Cure® on social media, could disrupt traditional fundraising efforts and allow for increased engagement from a broader audience.
3. Television Broadcasting - Television broadcasting of charitable events and causes may provide a novel platform for charities and raise awareness amongst audiences that may not usually engage with such causes.