Slow fashion designer Leyla Kashani releases new designs at Arta Gallery

TORONTO, ON, – Iranian-Canadian fashion designer Leyla Kashani, is exhibiting her latest designs at a private exhibition at Toronto’s Arta Gallery on September 14 from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. The event marks a permanent wall in the gallery displaying high art jewelry items and bags by the brand. The unisex slow fashion brand specializes in time-honoured cultural craft techniques, celebrating artisanal art forms and connecting to the designer’s Iranian heritage.

 

“With my brand, I seek to empower the artisans we work with in our ateliers. Seeing their work appreciated internationally gives them the recognition they deserve and the motivation to keep creating” says Leyla Kashani, founder and designer of the eponymous label. “These wearable pieces are not only timeless items, but help keep underappreciated and endangered traditional craftsmanship alive. Now, patrons of my work can see the brand’s jewellery, art objects and accessories.” 

Leyla Kashani combines her standout contemporary design style with traditional weaving and embroidery. Each seasonless item presents a timeless piece of history, connecting the past, present and future. The work released at Arta Gallery is inspired by hallmarks of the art deco movement, including black and white colours, bold lines and deconstructed silhouettes. Each piece combines signature hand-embroidery with exceptional textiles, including silk chiffon, velvet, leather or custom pleated taffeta, created in collaboration with an origami master. Pleated work a marriage between modern design and traditional techniques, as each piece is individually draped, sewn and hand embroidered. Leyla Kashani’s high art jewellery items incorporate ancestral metalwork processes and historic emblems, including hand-carved vintage coins from Iran, America, France and Canada. The Canadian coin work pieces will be available to view at the Arta Gallery exhibit.

 

About Leyla Kashani
Leyla Kashani launched in 2010, through a series of fashion installations in Toronto. The brand has since evolved into an established fashion, jewellery and accessories label. Based between Toronto and Tehran, all clothing is handmade by Leyla and her skilled artisans. Leyla Kashani prioritizes slow fashion, circularity and keeping honoured handcrafting techniques alive through wearable and standout fashion and accessory items. In 2021, Leyla Keshani was celebrated as one of three sustainable brands from Iran by Fashion Revolution UK.

 

For media inquiries, please contact mail.leylakashani@gmail.com.