Interview by Sarah Magwood
Born and raised in Jamaica, Shernett Swaby is a designer and sharp businesswoman. She graduated from the International Academy of Design in 1998 and has been developing her label, Swaby, ever since. Shernett has been working for herself since the age of eighteen and has had a store in Toronto since 2001; now, she is opening her second location in New York. Having competed on the first season of Project Runway Canada in 2007, her fame and her fashion sense continue to develop.
Swaby was the first designer to be showcased as part of The F-List Designer Spotlight Series that is going on until May 2009. These events are geared towards fashion enthusiasts who want to meet established designers, see the latest Canadian collections, and discuss various perspectives on the industry. I had the opportunity to speak with Shernett at the event.

What drives you to design?
I’m spoiled by my milieu . . . by an industry that’s rooted in creativity. I’m not impressed until I see someone create more than just a fad. I strive to invent that thing that will filter down through the generations.

How did the experience of being on Project Runway Canada help shape your understanding of fashion as an industry?
Before going on the show, I thought that these were the people who would decide my fate. I thought that you couldn’t be successful in the fashion business without being in the limelight. Then I realized that the judges were really no different than myself. They were just people with an opinion. I made a key realization during Project Runway: only I can hold me back.

While on Project Runway, you won the BRATZ doll’s clothes challenge. BRATZ proceeded to sponsor your Fall/Winter collection for Fashion Week in March 2008. Five of the looks you created have since been made in doll-size and will be sold this spring. How did you find this experience? Did you have to alter any of your designs based on the fact that they were to be used for children?
My designs generally don’t show too much skin – they aren’t ‘hoochy’ – and so it was easy to transition to dolls. Even when I make a dress short, I match it with frilly bloomers so there’s a balance. BRATZ do push the edge, but so do I. It worked. I wish all the challenges had been that fun.

Your work is known for its modern edge. Do you think that avant-garde fashion is viable in Canada? Do you think that your designs will be more widely received in New York (where you plan to open a new store)?
From what I’ve experienced, the Canadian aesthetic is becoming more adventurous. I’m only successful because of my customers . . . because of people who want to be noticed. Really, it has nothing to do with the clothes. Being avant-garde is all about personal confidence. Being different with conviction is what makes something avant-garde. That being said, I think my work will be more widely accepted in New York.

Your store offers free alterations for the life of your pieces. Do you think that your clothes encourage a healthier relationship with ones body? In what ways are you responding to representations of “ideal size” in the mass media?
My pieces are part of me and so I appreciate when someone brings things back. It means that they want to keep enjoying my work and that’s what I encourage. Nothing on the rack is ever designed for everyone. I have wide shoulders and long legs. I’m the only one. It’s not about the width of your hips or the size of your waist. It’s about celebrating what you’ve got and having fun with what you wear. Why should anyone have to compromise?

Tags: F-List, free alterations, Project Runway Canada, Shernette