The Innisfil Fashion Market was back for a second run July 9 after hosting a successful inaugural event one month prior.
Hosted outside the Stroud Innisfil Community Centre, the market had 66 vendors that ranged from vintage clothing to new designer clothing, and everything in between. The word had undoubtedly gotten out thanks to social media marketing because the vendors for this market came from areas such as Newmarket, Barrie, Essa, and Bradford, and one even came in from Montreal.
“This is really to fuse the new and old together,” explained event organizer Georgia Allison, who is native to Australia.
The pre-loved and recycled fashion markets occur often in the Land Down Under, so it’s clear Allison’s influence is derived from her experiences back home.
The success of the event is evident not only through the attendance of 300 people, but also the sales by the vendors.
“People are coming here to clearly shop. The Mommy Attic has been doing markets for years and this was her best one ever,” Allison. “And the Good Wax Candle launched her summer scent line here and sold out within one hour.”
But these events are not just about the sales; they’re about making connections with other people and businesses.
One vendor described it as “a friendly, well-organized event, definitely a sustainable outlet for fashion.”
Another added, “It’s my first experience, so I’m new at this, but it’s great connecting with people and there’s lots of exposure.”
Attendees from the first market, both vendors and shoppers, came back to this one with new ideas, some collaborating, some even starting their own fashion lines and side businesses. Allison herself teamed up with one of the vendors to plan a new event, which will be a cocktail market night when local businesses can simply network.
Allison is a full-time social media manager, which allowed her to promote this event easily to the public, and it was streamlined through her company called The Collection. She has a passion for planning and loves bringing people together with her events in hopes to create inspiration for others, as well as incredible memories.
The long-term vision is broad but the primary goal for her and her partner, Justin, is to bring new and exciting events to Ontario that include accommodations and unique Airbnbs. “The Innisfil Fashion Market is just the front door into The Collection and really birthing it. We want to do a lot more events similar to this but it’s going to take time to get there. One step at a time,” she said.
“Hopefully, the more people that know about it, and the dates, it will allow us to get bigger and bigger. This is getting such great traction and we just want to expand it.”
Look out for the next Innisfil Fashion Market happening Aug. 6, followed by two more in the fall.
