Canada’s own Mark Fast has created a collection that is turning heads and sparking immense curiosity with celebrities in Hollywood. Taking the old craft of knitting and making it look modern is what Fast is known for, particularly after presenting his collection in London, England. Celebrities, such as Kate Moss, Beyoncé, Kylie Minogue, Leighton Meester and Rihanna, are all fans of his work and Lady Gaga has even approached Fast to create outfits for her.

However, Fast does not dress everyone simply because they are famous. His goal is to create fashions that fit women of all sizes and shapes. Barbara Atkins, the vice-presidents of fashion direction at Hold Renfrew in Canada, is astonished and impressed over his collection. She states that there is “a customization, in a way, to what he is doing because every woman that puts on his pieces – it looks different on every woman”.

This is exactly what Fast was trying to illustrate at the London Fashion Week in September 2009, as he sent a size 0 and a size 12 model down the same runway. Since this show, Fast has been quite busy preparing for his 2010 collection. He has also been nominated for a British Fashion Award this December.

Fast was in Toronto last week for a meet-and-greet with the local media and here, he had the chance to explain his collection and justify his fashionable decisions. “My work is about a lifestyle. It’s not fast-food fashion. It’s not about trends, it’s about classic, it’s about the body, it’s about the beauty. Maybe that gets lost in the picture with certain celebrities.”

Fast’s collection is sold at Holt Renfrew in Canada. Hanging on the rack, his dresses may look like shrunken pants, but once they are put on the female forms his fashionable knits come to life, as seen on the picture below.