TORONTO — Emerging Ilongga fashion designer Ysa Dan Mari Fajardo delivered a confident runway presentation at Mass Exodus 2026, the annual showcase of graduating students from the School of Fashion at Toronto Metropolitan University.
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Held on April 11, with an accompanying exhibition running from April 12 to 14 at the Sheldon & Tracey Levy Student Learning Centre, the event featured more than 60 student collections and over 40 design projects. The showcase drew an audience of more than 900 attendees, highlighting the next generation of Canadian fashion talent.
Fajardo’s collection, “Dioscuri,” was presented during the 1 p.m. runway show 2 and explored themes of duality, balance, and mirrored identities. The collection stood out for its cohesive visual language and conceptual clarity, earning a strong audience response and closing the segment on a confident note.
Following her presentation at Mass Exodus, Fajardo was invited to showcase her collection “Dioscuri” at the annual charity fashion show organized by the U of T Charity Fashion show. The event, scheduled for May 14, supports the SickKids Centre for Brain & Mental Health and brings together emerging designers and creative talent in support of mental health advocacy. The charity’s theme is “Nocturne”. The charity show is expected to feature more than 400 runway guests and draw over 1,000 attendees throughout the evening. Organizers discovered Fajardo’s collection during Mass Exodus and extended the invitation in recognition of its strong narrative and visual impact.
A graduating student of Toronto Metropolitan University, Fajardo is part of a new wave of designers who use fashion as a platform for storytelling and social reflection. Her work underscores inclusivity and diverse representation—values that continue to shape the direction of the industry.
Fajardo’s continued recognition beyond the showcase signals her emergence as a designer to watch in contemporary fashion.
