Erin Hodson Backstage at Fall/Winter 2022 Vancouver Fashion Week, Cameron Lizotte prepares for the runway. We speak with the Canadian-born designer about the creation of his brand, Atelier Coin, and his adherence to fashion-sustainable practices.
Cameron Lizotte’s brand, Atelier Coin, is a studio which emphasizes sustainability, style, and practicality. Hailing from Victoria, Atelier Coin presented its first Vancouver Fashion Week runway this past season. This collection, quoted by Lizotte as a “Lifetime Collection”, focuses on one-on-one pieces, with a large emphasis on local second-hand fabrics, and an environmentally-conscious curation of style.
What inspired your brand?
I’ve been doing this for about six years now. I’m self-taught. I used to play hockey – hockey was kind of my life before, so my life was built around violence, and from that I found sewing. Everything is handmade one-on-one by me, and so I really take pride in the craft, and the zen and the peace I get from creating on my own and doing my own thing. I’m excited to be here, and to show off my one-on-one pieces.
What inspired this specific collection?
For me, it’s a lifetime collection. Everything is one of one, every piece has a story of its own. It’s cohesive, because it all falls under the same brand, but I try to create a story for each piece.
What’s your creative process like?
It starts by fabric. Once I find fabric my brain kind of goes on overdrive and it catalogs ideas of what I could do with that fabric. Fabric speaks to me in the way it functions, and so that will tell me a lot about what I can do with it. I always source locally, so it’s not like I have everything possible right, so I only find what’s local, and from there I make it work.
What is your personal definition of sustainability?
I have a leave-no-trace mentality. When I create my designs, if I have a scrap of fabric left, I will make sure I use that scrap to add details to the jacket. It pushes me to use more design when using the rest of the fabric. I buy natural fibers, and if it isn’t natural fibers I make sure it’s deadstock, which means I don’t buy more of it, it’s discontinued, they’re trying to get rid of it. So, might as well try to do something beautiful with it, you know? Some of my fabrics are secondhand, it’s been found in different places. It used to be a curtain, let’s say, or a bedsheet – my brain kind of thinks differently in different ways.
What’s the vision of the future of your brand?
I like what I’m doing, one of one pieces, and I’m going to keep focusing on influencers and one-on-one looks. I’ve done a lot of stuff for artists and for musicians, so my dream is to go on tour, dress musicians around the world, and keep doing fashion shows.
Is there anything you want to add about yourself, or about your brand?
A lot of people think they need school, but if you’re self motivated you can really get things done yourself. My whole brand has been just me and my thoughts, and if you really work on it, and you sacrifice a lot of your time and efforts, you can do it.
Thank you Cameron Lizotte for speaking with us about your sustainable studio, Atelier Coin, and sharing some light inspiration with us through your story, and last answer. With the creation of your collection, we hope for a future of further environmental consciousness!
Atelier Coin’s designs are available at ateliercoin.com as well as on instagram at @atelier.coin. For more runway photos, check out @vanfashionweek on instagram.