“I was telling other people’s story for so long, that I forgot my own”, said Elliott, during the 2017 Atoms of Fashion (AOF) event this past weekend at the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre. This fall marks the one year anniversary of Elliott’s surprising resignation from her CP24 position to pursue a lead she forgot all about: her purpose. AOF invited Elliott to be the night’s special guest speaker, and the new actress and lifestyle talk-show host was in suitable company.

From music and design to visual art and styling, event organizer and founder, Benjamin Yamoah had his hands full curating and showcasing the talents of student artists pushing the boundaries of innovation, creation, and entrepreneurship. “It’s not just a one-time thing that you receive from Atoms of Fashion then we walk away. We want to invest in that student’s life consistently,” says Yamoah, who was inspired to not only find a way to help fashion students and artists transform their careers, but to also assist students with Sickle Cell Anemia. 2017 is the 3rd year anniversary for AOF and the launch of the new AOF Scholarship Program that offers students financial assistance and ongoing mentorship

Sebastian Styles’ love of tailoring and Ghanian inspired style opened the fashion runway. His first collection featured classic repurposed pieces that represent not only his own style but the merging of the old with the new. Ashley Marie presented a dose of business attire with a daring twist in her “Ambition” collection. Seneca College’s 2017 Best in Show and Most Media Ready winner, Rhonique Ballantyne’s innovative use of 3-dimensional texture, cut outs, and futuristic style had the crowd in awe. All fashion was styled by one of Toronto’s newly acclaimed up and coming stylists, Mr. Adomako.

Appropriately, the event was emceed by “In The Loop” talk show host Nina Hallie Dixon who guided guests through the evening’s show. Although guests came out eager to see the designer threads, AOF is not just a fashion show. In between the soulful crooning of songstress Silla Stylez, guests were treated to refreshments and the opportunity to network while enjoying the ambiguous high fashion inspired oil paintings by artist and designer Nana Bediako, along with contemporary dynamic portrait illustrations by Katrina Canedo, and the rich colors of African bridal traditions captured by visual artist Grace Miah. This event connected jewellery designers, visual artists, fashion designers, bloggers, and enthusiasts alike, producing a night of entertainment with a purpose.

Scholarship recipients will be awarded the funds made from this year’s AOF event when course programs begin in September 2018. If you missed this colourful event, please feel free to donate or apply online and follow Atoms of Fashion on Instagram.

ByBlacks.com favourite picks for the 2017 AOF event are:

Bismark Adomako 
Rhonique Ballantyne 
Nana Bediako