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Look at any of Toronto-based designer Virginia Johnson’s clothing and textile collections and you’ll see a fusion of fine art with fashion that is a rarity in today’s fashion landscape. Johnson’s background in watercolors, printmaking, and illustration pop up in the trademark prints that pepper her billowy tops, flared mini skirts, and roomy tote bags. The prints range from the traditional – hydrangeas, poppies, and fall leaves – to the strange – elephants, artichokes, and wheels – and come in brilliant candy colors like mauve, turquoise and magenta. Expect to find simple shapes and minimally structured separates that are easy to wear - poet blouses, tunics, and shifts that have a breezy, “summer weekend at the cottage” vibe. Johnson’s resume includes education from Parsons School of Design, and a stint as a handbag and shoe designer at Helmut Lang, before she launched her clothing line in 2002 and her home collection in 2006. She keeps her diverse artistic background alive by doing illustration work for various fashion clients, including Kate Spade.
-Jessalynn Keller