Evan’s been riding the wave of his success on Project Runway Canada, but has managed to stay grounded throughout it all. He acknowledged that he wants the recognition and financial stability that comes with success, but doesn’t want to be some “multimillionare emperor of the universe” either. This young designer, who’s skyrocketed to the forefront of Canadian fashion, has somehow kept his head on straight while trying to negotiate uncharted territory.
Biddell’s plan for future collections can be summed up in a word: accountability. He explains that he would rather offend a person with his designs than offend mother nature through destructive practices, and has decided that he’d like to use organic materials to construct his Canadian-manufactured garments whenever possible.
And what about the future? Evan believes that “versatility is the future of fashion. It has to be sellable in a streetwear shop like Vancouver’s El Kartel or an established retail chain like Holt Renfrew.” When we last spoke, he was trying to decide what city in the world to live in and base his business out of; the choices were narrowed down to Vancouver, Montreal, Toronto or London (England, not Ontario). He’s surely come a long way since he was making custom hoodies (or “bunnyhugs,” as they were called in his hometown) for his friends in Victoria, and intends to play with the idea of deadly sins VS holy virtues in future pieces.
Biddell notes that there is good and evil in all of us, and as he struggles with this balance in his own life he hopes to work it out through design: the epic battle between good and evil will play out in the clothes. He fantasizes about customers walking into a shop and the salesperson asking them, “Are you here for envy or chastity today?”
This battle between the ultimate dichotomies may be neck and neck, but for today good has the upper hand. Evan has launched Addicted to Biddell organic cotton t-shirts, and is donating $10 from each sale to Iman’s charity, Keep a Child Alive. You can pat yourself on the back for supporting a blossoming Canadian fashion designer and keeping an African child alive.
