Showcasing Canadian Creative Fashion – Milton Fashion Week
Heading west from downtown Toronto along the 401, you’ll find one of Canada’s most vibrant and fast-growing communities, Milton, Ontario. As the town continues to thrive, it is carving out a dynamic arts and cultural scene that reflects its diverse and creative spirit. Among its rising highlights is Milton Fashion Week, an event generating impressive buzz and helping to position the region within Canada’s ever-evolving fashion landscape, an industry defined by innovation, inclusivity, and the celebration of multicultural expression.
In this exciting context, TorontoPages Magazine, through an exclusive interview conducted by Roy Boyce, sits down with Shelley Jarrett, Founder and Producer of Milton Fashion Week, to explore how the show has achieved such rapid success. An award-winning entrepreneur, community leader, documentary filmmaker, and women’s advocate, Shelley is also the founder and publisher of SMJ Magazine, an image, lifestyle, and business publication with over 45 issues released across its 12-year history. Together, we dive into the story, vision, and momentum behind Milton Fashion Week.
Shelly, can you tell us the story behind how Milton Fashion Week first began? What inspired you?
Milton Fashion Week began with an inspiration. My family and I had recently moved to Milton four years prior and realized a fashion event needed to be added to what was already a vibrant arts community. As an entrepreneur I am always looking for opportunities, so with an arts background and some knowledge in the fashion industry it was easy to merge my skills and talents to create Milton Fashion Week. We did a pre-launch in December 2024 and ran a contest to crown the face of Milton Fashion Week. The response was overwhelming, so we knew there was a need. That led to our 1st runway show last July 2025, (which was a labor of love but successful).
How has Milton Fashion Week evolved since its inception
The excitement of building the brand Milton Fashion Week has never dissipated. Models came from across the GTA in our first year, and word got out about how great the runway was and a welcome change of scenery from Toronto. We have since filmed a short documentary entitled “Milton on the Runway” from the aspect of two of the designers that appeared. It has since been nominated for 5 awards at the 6th edition of International Black & Diversity Film Festival Canada.
What do you think made last year’s event stand out?
With less viable brick and mortar retail spaces since the pandemic, the fashion industry has had to pivot. Designers are looking for new ways to showcase their creativity. Models are out there looking for opportunities to showcase their talents on the runway. Everyone is getting into content creation. It’s quick and easy since everyone has a phone. They can post to social media and create a buzz.
What were some of the biggest challenges you faced in organizing last year’s fashion week?
The production was very costly, especially location. With Milton being a smaller city, there was not too many sites to choose from. Securing sponsorship for the production was difficult as well. We were new to the business community and did not have a track record, so we had to prove ourselves.
As Founder and Producer, how did your role evolve on a day-to-day basis leading up to the event?
Being the founder & producer of the show, carries a great sense of responsibility. Having a great team works well. Everyone had to stick to what they do best. That way I was able to keep track of my to-do lists. However, being organized and taking care of issues helped to manage immediate problems as they came up. I also had to ensure that things like venues were paid for, Insurance coverage was taken care of, and that food and drink for the models and volunteers was coordinated.
How do you curate designers and talent for Milton Fashion Week?
We post on social media and through word of mouth and referrals.
What makes Milton Fashion Week unique compared to other fashion events in the region?
A beautiful summer evening and the breath-taking ambiance of the Escarpment as a back-drop bring out the uniqueness of Milton. The diversity of the entire production, models, designers, media etc., just adds to it.
How does the local Milton community contribute to or influence the event?
In Year Two we are now trying to get as much information out to business and organizations in the community. This year is looking much improved over last year
What can audiences expect from this year’s fashion week?
We are planning a super fun show, with a theme on fashion sustainability. On opening night, June 26th, it’s our industry meet & greet which includes a screening of our documentary “Milton on the Runway”. On the 27th the spotlight is on the runway with international as well as Canadian and local designers. We have reduced our ticket pricing this year to one price for VIPs ($55) and regular tickets (2 for $45).
Are there any new elements or surprises you’re introducing this year?
Yes. We want to give our sponsors an opportunity to use MFW to attract customers to their doors. We also want our designers to showcase mannequins in designers outfits as an opportunity for future sales.
How do you support emerging designers and creatives through your platform?
My goal is to provide guidance and support to the next generation of designers and fashion entrepreneurs to catch their vision of how they want to showcase their product and profile & promote their story on our social media page. We want to conduct interviews on the red carpet, and provide a portfolio of photos & videos from the event. Together with a full glossy look book style magazine for keepsake. We offer different packages to suit the designers budgetary needs.
Can you tell us about the documentary film “Milton on the Runway” and how the idea came about?
This not my first film. I have completed three documentaries. so story telling is part of who I am. My goal was to tell the story of the experience of two designers at the first MFW and why they wanted to be part of the show.
What was the process like transitioning a live runway experience into a cinematic format?
It was an easy transition. We already had most of the footage from the runway. We did four hours of filming one cold December day with a very small dedicated team and the job was done. Preparation for the trailer and editing followed a few months later. We were able to complete the entire documentary in time to catch the deadline date for the film festival.
How did it feel to have the film nominated for five awards at IBDFF 2026?
For the team it is a great achievement I am also grateful and humbled to receive any kind of recognition. When anyone in the team is recognized for their professional skills, it makes my heart happy. As the saying goes” Team work makes the dream Work”.
What message or story were you hoping to convey through “Milton on the Runway”?
One of the designers shared about sustainability, bringing awareness to the environment and the necessity to leave something behind for the next generation. The 2nd designer is autistic and is from the country of Brazil but resides in Canada. It was also content to promote this year runway.
How important is storytelling in fashion events today?
Fashion is art and is self expression. So with all this creativity, it creates emotional connections, it elevates the brand. The designer stands out. It enhances the audience experience, it creates content and is very good for marketing. Storytelling is what turns the fashion event into a cultural moment, not just a show.
Can you share a standout moment from last year that truly captured the spirit of the event?
A standout moment for me, was the final walk for the evening from an out of town designer Rivaado from Calgary Alberta. His collection was huge, almost 40 pieces. To see all those male & female models on the runway with the diversity of models was just spectacular to witness.
How do you balance creativity with the business side of producing a large-scale event?
The creativity portion is for the runway producer and her team. We will discuss before hand what the show would look like, what will be the order designers and balance it out, especially considering many models will be walking for two and possibly more designers. I usually focus on front of house and she manages backstage and all the logistics.
What are your long-term goals for Milton Fashion Week?
I plan to have the event for as long as designers want to showcase their art.
Your message for us at TorontoPages magazine.
Thank you for providing this platform so we can tell our story about Milton Fashion Week. We look forward to partnering in the media space for many more shows.
Thank you very much Shelley Jarrett for your time, we are looking forward to Milton Fashion Week. Best of luck to all the Team. Milton Fashion Week runs from the 24th – 27th June 2026. Fully schedule is available on the website.
