Heart of Fashion raises over $600,000 for women’s mental health

One of the greatest things about the fashion industry is its ability to give back to the community and to various charities. Such as the case was on Saturday, November 2 when over 400 philanthropists and fashion lovers ventured to Shops at Don Mills in Toronto for an evening of fashion, food and performance at the Heart of Fashion event to benefit women’s mental health at North York General Hospital. The fashion show featured a selection of retailers from the outdoor shopping complex, including Change, Mexx, Spanner, Anthropologie, as well as a selection of designs from some of Canada’s top fashion designers.

Hosted by fashion icon Jeanne Beker, with a performance by singer Karl Wolf, the event raised over $600,000 through ticket sales and a live auction where a pair of tickets to Victoria’s Secret’s annual grandiose fashion show sold for an impressive $30,000.

Continuing the fundraising activities, Shops at Don Mills is hosting the Heart of Fashion Pop-Up Shop until Saturday, November 9. The temporary boutique features a roster of renowned independent Canadian designers who each showed select wears on the runway at Saturday’s event. Designers who will be selling a range of exclusive pieces and ready-to-wear include BRIVTI, David Dixon, Lucian Matis, Thien Le, Starkers Corsetry, Fiori, and Laura Siegel.

The pop up shop is open each day from 11:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. with net proceeds being donated to support mental health care programs at Phillips House, a heritage estate owned by the Hospital and a welcoming facility for women’s and children’s outpatient mental health care.