Wayne Clark | The Canadian Encyclopedia

Article

Wayne Clark

He then apprenticed with Savile Row icon Hardy Amies in London, England, for 18 months and worked as an assistant costume designer on the film The Romantic Englishwoman. Clark designed for manufacturer Aline Marelle when he returned to Toronto in 1977.

Wayne Clark

 Wayne Clark, fashion designer (b at Drumheller, Alta 13 Nov 1949). Raised in Calgary, Clark discovered his interest in fashion at the age of 10. After three years of fashion studies at the Alberta College of Art, Clark pursued his passion for fashion both in and out of the classroom. Upon graduating from the fashion program at Sheridan College (Oakville, Ont) in 1973, Clark was awarded the Canadian Fashion Industry Scholarship by the Department of Industry, Trade and Commerce.

He then apprenticed with Savile Row icon Hardy Amies in London, England, for 18 months and worked as an assistant costume designer on the film The Romantic Englishwoman. Clark designed for manufacturer Aline Marelle when he returned to Toronto in 1977.

After establishing his own company (1989), Wayne Clark assumed total responsibility for his label, selling in Canada and the US. Clark is noted for his dramatic bias-cut evening gowns and well-tailored sportswear of high quality. His designs have graced many red carpets and have attracted a strong celebrity following that includes Jane Fonda, Cindy Crawford, Rihanna, Sarah POLLEY and Vivica A. Fox.

In 2008, Clark was honoured for his decades-long involvement in Canadian design by the International Fashion Group's annual Night of Stars gala held at Toronto's historic Carlu event hall. In the same year, Clark's sketches were displayed at the O'Connor Gallery in Toronto, celebrating his artistic contribution to the fashion industry.

Following several years away from the Canadian runway, Wayne Clark returned to Toronto Fashion Week in 2010 as part of a multi-designer show hosted by luxury retailer Holt Renfrew.