The Commerce Times

Kat Marks leaves her mark

Emerging designer Kat Marks wasn’t admitted to Ryerson’s School of Fashion, at first. It wasn’t until her second try that she was accepted. At 24, the recent graduate has produced three collections, sent models down the runway at Toronto Fashion Week in her clothing, exhibited her work at Nuit Blanche, and is currently working on her Master’s degree in London, England.

“During my time at Ryerson, I exploded.”

If you asked Marks where she wanted to direct her career in fashion five years ago, she would have said “a designer for Guess.” Today she is an avant-garde designer, heavily inspired by the works of novelist Kurt Vonnegut.
“During my time at Ryerson, I exploded,” Marks said. “I enjoyed pushing boundaries.”

Although Marks was taught how to sew at a young age by her grandmother, she developed most of her skills at Ryerson.

When she opened Mass Exodus, an annual Ryerson fashion show, in 2008 with her collection “Sirens of Titan,” named after the Vonnegut novel, Marks left a strong impression. “Sirens of Titan” was exhibited at Nuit Blanche in 2008, through what she described as “a live performance.” This year her new collection, Yugas Elder, was demonstrated in a four minute black and white film directed by Daniel Shipp and produced by Goran Boskovic. The exhibit was located in Ryerson’s G. Raymond Chang School of Continuing Education. Fashion school alumni Lucian Matis and Jocelyn Tang’s work can were also showcased at this location.

“The film demonstrates how the Yugas Elder women interact with each other,” Marks said. “It’s a voyeuristic look into the world.”

Marks is best known for her use of plastics, and has recently been working with polyurethane rubber and resin. Her recent designs have been distinguished by electric red plastic corsets and cream lace dresses.

“I’ve always thought of myself as a craft person; most of my work comes from science,” Marks said. “I want to show diversity within my skills.”

Although she considers herself a Canadian designer, Marks currently attends the London College of Fashion and plans to stay in Europe for at least five more years. She plans on starting her own business and hopefully owning a studio, while working with other companies.

Influenced by the styles of Walter Van Beirendonck and Hussein Chalayan, Marks intent is to create and express a story through her garments.

“They [Beirendonck and Chalayan] produce fashion on a bigger scale. Nothing I produce is meant to be mass produced,” she said.

Marks is not a follower of the runway. Aside from her contributions to Nuit Blanche, she purposely keeps herself away from the fashion week scene and latest runway trends. She prefers to stay away from the consumer world, as it might lead her into a tornado of mass productions.

“I don’t want to be influenced by what’s happening now,” she said, adding that her creations show a glimpse of the future, and present humour towards complex themes.

Her collection Sirens of Titan will be featured in the November issue of Flare Magazine.