Mani Jassal is the designer behind her self-titled fashion label and I first set eyes on her work at Toronto Fashion Week, where she exhibited a small selection of her pieces in collaboration with RESET. A couple of weeks later, I was invited to view Mani’s complete collection, “The Garden of Desire | Erised” at her runway show set against the backdrop of the beautiful Berkeley Church. Mani’s collection blends her South Asian heritage with her Canadian upbringing and the result is an innovative and modern take on traditional attire.
Photo credit: George Pimentel
I chatted with Mani after her show and asked her to describe her collection in three words, and she thoughtfully, though without hesitation, chose empowerment, sexy and effortless. Mani designed each piece with purpose and a very distinct message is woven throughout the collection — at its core, it’s all about loving yourself before falling in love with somebody else. Such a beautiful message, and the clothes reflect that perfectly. Her pieces are made from beautiful, quality fabrics and are embellished with intricate details. While pictures of the clothes do justice to portray their beauty, the pieces are even more captivating in person and seeing their movement when worn. It’s an honour to be introduced to this talented designer and to see her success so far — I love hearing stories about people who are doing what they love, and it was Mani’s dream to become a fashion designer since she was 11 years old, so I’m happy to see her thriving with her passion.
Mani has a showroom located in Brampton, Ontario; visit her online here for more info.
Here are some of my favourite looks from Mani’s collection:
Photo credit: George Pimentel
Want more? Here’s what #WeWantToKnow about Mani:
I can't start my morning without... black tea and unfortunately checking my phone notifications.
I have a weakness for...tacos.
Most people don't know that I...can speak about 5 different languages (not all fluently); English, French, Punjabi, Spanish, and Hindi. I can sort of read Italian because I know French and Spanish, but am interested to learn more of it. Would love to learn to speak to Mandarin or Cantonese as well.
Currently reading...Haha! I wish I had time to sit down and read a book. Harry Potter was the last book I read and enjoyed.
An important lesson I learned from a challenge I faced… Balance ! It is so important to stay organized and balance your personal life and business. Take days off, because it's so important to let yourself breathe.
I want...to continue doing what I am doing. I want to globalize my brand and become a household name in what I am doing.
Thanks Mani, for participating in #WeWantToKnow! It was lovely to meet you.
Photo credit: George Pimentel
