After attending the White Cashmere fashion show, I was eager to learn more about Canadian fashion and meet the brains behind it. When Women of Influence announced they were ending their speaker series for the year with Kimberly Newport-Mimran, the President & Head Designer of Pink Tartan, I quickly bought a ticket. Prior to the event, I saw her on a poster at the eyeglasses store Josephson’s in Forest Hill, which solidified her position as a national style icon.
When I focus on seeing speakers from the fashion and media industries, the events tend to be worthwhile and this one was no exception. Charles the Butler was not there, but Susie Sheffman was!
During Kimberly’s presentation, I learned that the name of the brand was inspired by her background in menswear and her favourite colour. Oh, and fun fact: she loves watching The Food Network! She also said she admires Tory Burch’s success because they started their companies around the same time. After reflecting on the challenges of starting and growing a business, Kimberly ultimately urged the crowd to stay motivated and not give up.
After her speech, Kimberly hosted a fashion show featuring Pink Tartan’s collection. My favourite piece was a mod looking red, black and white dress. After fussing about taking a good picture, I saw that CBC’s Jessi Cruickshank was modelling it on her Instagram account that evening. She makes everything look amazing!