Menswear designer Christopher Bates is following in a long line of fashion moguls who have moved their Canadian business across the pond to Europe – powerhouse DSquared2 made the move recently, and now Bates will set up shop in Milan, where he first got his feet wet in fashion.
Bates recently spoke to The Canadian Press just prior to his runway show at World MasterCard Fashion Week in Toronto and compared his big move to that of designer twins Dean and Dan Caten, also known as DSquared2. “They started their business off in Canada and in Toronto and got some good traction here and support and they moved to Milan and took the next steps in their career. I think that’s a natural evolution for a Canadian designer to take… In my opinion, Canada has been the perfect incubator for my brand to grow and to figure out what works and what doesn’t, and to get to a point where it’s strong and then: ‘What next?’ I think for me, it’s Europe for many reasons.”
“We are excited to be launching the Christopher Bates Collection for Spring 2014. This young talented Canadian designer has perfected his craft creating a unique, contemporary sportswear collection that showcases clever details and quality constructions with a modern yet sophisticated edge. We look forward to our new partnership with Christopher,” said Barbara Atkin, VP of Fashion Direction at Holt Renfrew, on Christopher Bates’ official website.
Photo: Christopher Bates
