Tara Rivas is the designer and visionary behind her eponymous fashion label (formerly TMR) that she launched in September 2015. Her collections are known for their timelessness and for their versatility to take the wearer from day to night. The pieces are comfortable and stylish, made only from the highest quality fabrics, and some of the pieces have the innovative bonus of being reversible. An affordable luxury, each piece is made in Canada, and the classic cuts guarantee that each piece will have longevity in your wardrobe. This bodes well for me, since I recently introduced the Ava dress from Tara's Miami Deco collection to my closet, and based on the comfort and quality of the piece I know I will have it for years to come. It's a classic cut with an edgy cutout, knee-length, one-shouldered, and is comfortable enough to dance the night away in (which I did!). I was introduced to Tara's label prior to the launch of her first collection and I'm impressed by how far she's come in such a short time. Tara and I chatted recently about all things fashion and it is my pleasure to introduce her to you.

Tara always loved fashion, but it wasn't on her career radar during her early years at university. An art history major, Tara became increasingly interested in this career route when taking a fashion course in third year and loving it. Even then, she didn't alter her educational path to pursue a program in fashion studies. While at school, Tara would design clothes for herself and even dresses for to wear to the swanky galas and parties during TIFF, the week-long film festival, as well as designing dresses for friends, an early inkling of one day pursuing a career in the fashion industry. She knew it was a sign when she would dream of about various designs a night and sketch them immediately upon waking up. Tara has always been an entrepreneurial person with tons of creativity to unleash and a passion was building inside her – she calls this passion a huge fireball in her stomach that she could not ignore, and after graduating she jumped right in and started her own label. She participated in a six-month design internship with a Swiss designer, and has otherwise learned everything through her own hands-on experience.

Tara introduced her first collection at a launch party held at Montecito restaurant in Toronto. Her line was well received and caught the attention of actress Elisha Cuthbert, who attended the party and has since been spotted wearing one of Tara's jackets. Tara continues to market her label by hosting month-long pop-up shops around the city to test different markets. Tara spends almost all her time at the pop-up while it's open – she loves getting to know her customers and forming a one-to-one relationship with them, and collecting their feedback directly so that she can continuously meet the needs of her customer.

If you want a peek at what Tara is coming out with next, she will be showing her first runway collection at FashionCAN at Yorkdale on February 28th at 5pm. Instead of showing a completely ready-to-wear collection that you would expect to find at her pop-up locations, she's going beyond the basics and will be showing some more creative pieces. Can't wait to see what she has in store for us!

Tara's long term plan is to open a permanent boutique for her label and she envisions sharing the space with a partner in the coffee business – she loves the idea of combining her love of coffee with her love for fashion and creating an atmosphere that caters to both. Until then, you can get your fashion fix by shopping the Tara Rivas collection here.

Want more? Let's hear from Tara – here's what We Want To Know:

I can't start my morning without...writing in my gratitude journal and a cup of coffee.

I have a weakness for...pesto anything!

Most people don't know that I...did not go to school for fashion.

Currently reading... Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert.

I want...to continue to push myself to do things that are outside of my comfort zone.

Tara - thank you for participating in #WeWantToKnow!