While Toronto City’s skyline has been steadily transforming, one change that has remained beautifully consistent over the past decade is the vibrant pulse of Startup Fashion Week™ (SFW)—SFW’s passionate drive to spotlight those young designers fueled with creativity but remained overshadowed by the big, high-profile brands.
Ten glorious years! That’s how long SFW has been weaving dreams, knocking down industry walls, and giving the underdogs a gleaming platform to shine. Founded in 2014 by Jodi Goodfellow, the event was birthed from a clear vision: to bridge the yawning chasm between newcomers and the intimidating world of fashion. Jodi saw the disconnect – the glitz and glamour reserved for the bigwigs, while countless vibrant startups faded into obscurity due to a lack of support.
Do you know that feeling when you see brilliance wilting away because they don’t have the right stage or microphone? That is the feeling Jodi had, and she couldn’t bear it.

“I realized we needed a change when I saw how many inspiring entrepreneurs in Toronto were not receiving attention or funding in the fashion and fashion-tech sectors, ultimately seeing so many great businesses fail. Top-tier fashion events offer marketing, press and industry connections, but the price to participate is too expensive for new businesses. I thought: how are small businesses supposed to get from A to Z without support or affordable opportunities? It became obvious I needed to create a fashion week platform specifically supporting startups with a forward-thinking approach in programming,”   

Jodi Goodfellow, Executive Producer.