Eliza Faulkner celebrating a decade in design

Eliza Faulkner’s namesake women’s-wear label has come a long way in the 10 years since she started hand-sewing her designs.Handout

Celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, Eliza Faulkner’s namesake women’s-wear label has come a long way since she started hand-sewing her designs at a cottage in British Columbia’s Cowichan Valley. “I cut everything on a ping-pong table by the fire,” says Faulkner, who studied fashion design at London’s Central Saint Martins.

Today, Faulkner works with her studio team in Montreal, which she says allows her to have oversight over wages, working conditions and materials. “I love being able to run down the street to buy some more fabric for the cutters if they run out or check in on samples being made on my way home. It’s definitely more work than having it made somewhere else, but it teaches you how much time and energy is involved in manufacturing – it gives you an appreciation for the cost of everything.”

Favouring dresses, Faulkner says the Cece dress has become one of her signature styles. “It’s great for layering and it fits so many body types.” She also points to mesh tops, like the Dolly, as a way to complete the look. “I’ve always loved mashing up sportswear with really delicate, feminine pieces.”

This fall, Faulkner is injecting a sense of playfulness into her collection through bold shapes and colours such as bright pink, rugby stripes and miniskirts. “I’m craving a mood right now that is optimistic, playful and celebratory,” she says. “Hemlines change, ruffles get added but at the core it’s always been unashamedly feminine and optimistic.”

Eliza Faulkner, elizafaulkner.com.