BIOGRAPHY

 

IzzyBio
Tara West for FAJO Magazine

 

Izzy Camilleri is one of Canada’s most innovative and celebrated fashion designers, and has built a strong reputation designing high fashion for over 39 years. Her designs have been featured in countless publications, such as Vogue, InStyle, Harper’s Bazaar, Elle, and Business of Fashion.  

 

Many A-list celebrities have worn Izzy’s pieces, including David Bowie, Angelina Jolie, Jason Momoa, and Meryl Streep, to name a few. In 2006, Izzy’s eponymous fashion line, Izzy Camilleri, earned her CAFA’s coveted Womenswear Designer of the Year Award.

 

In 2005, a woman living with paralysis came to Izzy looking for some custom clothing that would work with her power wheelchair. Unaware of the clothing challenges people face while living with a disability, Izzy became a sponge, taking in the issues, as well as the lack of options available for wheelchair users. Inspired by this experience, in 2009, Izzy pioneered and launched her most important fashion collection to date. The revolutionary clothing line IZ Adaptive, designed specifically for wheelchair users, has changed the lives of people all over the world and is recognized globally.  

 

In 2020, Izzy did a TED Talk titled Re Designing Fashion where she shared her fashion journey and how IZ Adaptive was started. In 2022, Izzy was the recipient of 2 awards, one for Innovation from the Women’s Empowerment Awards and the other for Fashion Impact from the CAFA Awards (Canadian Arts and Fashion Awards) for her revolutionary IZ Adaptive Collection. She sits on several boards, contributes to fundraisers and charitable events and helps young fashion students where she can.

 

Today, the adaptive clothing category is growing. Known as the thought leader in this space, many major fashion brands are following Izzy’s lead and turning to her for her expertise. Media outlets such as Forbes, The Guardian, LA Times, The Washington Post and many others have done features on IZ Adaptive and the important role Izzy’s innovative designs play in helping make the fashion industry more inclusive. Her work has been featured in major exhibits and used for teaching materials around the world. Select  IZ Adaptive pieces are part of Royal Ontario Museum’s collection which is Canada’s largest museum, She is currently the Style Expert on a new TV show called Fashion DIS, featuring fashion makeovers for people who live with a physical disability and is rapidly growing in popularity globally.

 

Izzy continues to create pieces that provoke thought and push boundaries.

 

IZZY CAMILLERI COLLECTION:

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Through the mid to late 80’s, Izzy’s name sake collections were gracing runways and stores across North America, earning her glowing reviews from the fashion community and consumers alike. During these years, Izzy developed her trademark style that has influenced her throughout her career.

TELEVISION – FASHION DIS

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Fashion Dis promises to be a game-changer in the makeover space, challenging traditional norms that lack inclusion. Each episode of Fashion Dis celebrates the head-to-toe overhaul of a frustrated style seeker discouraged by an industry that lacks adaptive options.

 

From innovative clothing design to transformative beauty techniques, our expert team reveals the latest in fashion-forward thinking and shows those ready to rock their best body exactly how to do it.

TED TALK

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In this talk, Izzy Camilleri shares how she has come to design adaptive clothing for clients with a physical disability. As one of Canada’s leading innovative and celebrated fashion designers, Izzy Camilleri has made a name for herself designing clothing for national and international clients since 1984.

FILM WORK

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From the luxurious build of the infamous fur coat worn by Meryl Streep in The Devil Wears Prada, to edgy pieces created for David Bowie’s Dead Man Walking music video, Izzy’s contribution to the film industry has been incredibly extensive and included original designs, reproductions and period pieces.

IZ ADAPTIVE

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A revolutionary and completely unique brand of clothing, designed around a seated frame, to provide a superior choice for wheelchair users since 2009. IZ Adaptive pioneered the way for adaptive clothing and pushed boundaries within the fashion world, making the world more accessible, not just through clothing, but also through raising awareness around disability issues and raising the profile of disabled models.

 

FASHION FOLLOWS FORM EXHIBITION

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Celebrating Izzy’s bold and groundbreaking career, the Royal Ontario Museum ran a six month exhibition in 2014 ‘Fashion Follows Form: Designs For Sitting’. The exhibit contextualized the innovative ‘IZ Collection’ garments within Izzy’s oeuvre and historical 18th-19th century fashions also designed for a seated, L-shaped frame.

IZMA

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A collaborative offering, with Adrian Mainella, IZMA transformed the beauty and warmth of Canadian wild fur into modern icons of attainable luxury. Designed with 4 key concepts in mind: wear-ability, versatility, functionality and longevity, the line was an early part of a movement within the fashion industry towards a focus on sustainability.

MIZ

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Launched to rave reviews at World MasterCard Fashion Week in Toronto, the MIZ line was dedicated to the female Boomer, in both fashion and function. Featuring bold lines and striking prints plus Izzy’s signature leather pieces, MIZ seamlessly blended style and comfort with each season.

GIVING BACK

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These charitable projects challenge stereotypes and highlight the numerous causes Izzy has contributed to. Each project presented unique design challenges, from collaborating with Starlight Canada to redesign hospital gowns for sick teenagers, to being the first designer in the White Cashmere Collection to feature a model to use a wheelchair. Izzy created a gown created from bathroom tissue – raising money for the Canadian Breast Cancer Association.

MUSIC

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Numerous artists have worn incredible Izzy Camilleri custom designs on the stage, but none more iconic than the metallic suits worn by Gord Downie of The Tragically Hip on their historic Man Machine Poem Tour in 2016.