Hello, I’m Hillary, one of the new Wornettes; I’m looking forward to researching and copy-editing like a 12th grader again! I just finished my foundation year at OCAD, so in September I will start really getting into my program: textiles. My ultimate goal is to create beautiful, soft, jersey with fantastic prints. I can never find printed jersey, and it kills me.

I strive to pursue my love of fashion ethically by shopping locally, fair trade, and vintage. I have boycotted sweatshop-made clothing for nearly two years, but had a moment of weakness recently when I spent a month in China… can you really expect me to turn down a $10
chiffon baby doll? This social consciousness has been supported through working at Lilith, where all the clothes are produced in Toronto. Here I can fuel my addiction to clothing and calm my guilty conscience. I pick up inspiration everywhere: from photo shoots in Vogue, to the ever-changing styles of my idiosyncratic friends. I also have an insatiable love for Project Runway, and adore seeing the process as well as the finished garment. I’m extremely excited to be involved with WORN, because they write about fashion the way I want to read it.

Current Inspirations:

Vintage Sewing
An amazing resource for any sewer, this site has vintage sewing books that have fallen under the public domain painstakingly typed out and scanned for our pleasure. The books date back as far as 1893.

Whorange
A really well curated blog with fantastic, and often hilarious, house wares, artworks, vintage photos, and pieces of clothing. I also have great respect for her shared love of owls.

Green Porno
Learn something from the lovely Isabella Rossellini while being entertained. While you’re at it, appreciate the fantastic costume and set design.

Janet Caroline
Along with running a great online fabric shop, Janet Caroline keeps this blog, which is great for staying on top of contemporary textile design. The designs are beautiful, and so are the dresses she makes for her five-year-old daughter.

Dr. Sketchy
I haven’t had a chance to make it out yet but… life drawing in burlesque costume? I think so.

interview and photography by Melissa Kuril.
From over ten years on Queen Street West to the new Distillery dwelling, Maihyet Burton, owner and designer of Lilith (55 Mill St.), talks to WORN about the changing role the famous Queen West neighborhood has played in the Fashion community.

What does the name Lilith mean to you?
Lilith is a powerful female force that is as strong as a man. She is a legend and a goddess.

What was Queen Street like when you first opened Lilith?
When I moved Lilith to Queen Street, the neighbourhood consisted of a variety of fabric and antique furniture stores and Peach Berserk; that was pretty much it.

How has it changed since you left this past summer?
There was a huge condo boom and the major players (H&M, American Apparel, Urban outfitters) moved in. Queen Street resembles a mall now.

Do you think the new additions to Queen West will have a positive or negative effect on the community?
It has pros and cons. For Toronto, it is beneficial because this Country relies a lot on the city for economical reasons. As a small business owner it has improved the services provided by the city. For example back when I opened Lilith, the city had an “every man for himself” attitude around basic services such as snow and garbage removal. These days, with the current state of the economy, the city is putting money into the infrastructure and services provided to make spending money on goods as comfortable as possible for the public.
The down side is that because the area is desirable, landlords are raising the rents so the small business owners have to pay more or get out. Once Urban Outiftters moved in my sales declined dramatically. It is direct competition for Lilith – selling the same type of DIY looking merchandise only theirs is made in Asia and I am making it myself. It was impossible for me to compete with that type of volume. The sad thing is the area was desirable because of the small boutiques, cafes and galleries, and those are the places that are now suffering.

How has your recent move affected your designs/work?
I am more accessory driven. Since I no longer have staff, every piece I make has more care put into it and more intricate details as I make each one myself.

Maihyet Top 10 inspirational women in fashion
1 - Lilith
2 - Jackie Onassis Kennedy
3 - Audrey Hepburn
4 - Elsa Schiaparelli
5 - Marlene Dietrich
6 - Coco Chanel
7 - Josephine Baker
8 - Elizabeth Siddal
9 - Angela Davis
10- Jane Fonda