Women Who Inspire - Nadya Toto

Canadian fashion designer

They say that the most important things in life are the connections we make with others. This woman has the power to ignite your spark and captivate your heart. She will leave you feeling inspired, confident and ready to make the most of your life. Nadya Toto is the living embodiment of her designs: charming, feminine and innovative. This is the story of a girl who "Just needed to create something in this world."

What do you do?

 I design and manufacture high-end womenswear collections 100 % made in Montreal since 1989.

What/who inspires you?

I was very inspired by my maternal grandmother Elisa. We lived together in a three-generation house where everything was handmade! Back in the ’30s, my grandmother had a high-end couture house in Italy. My mom Maria Teresa is a ceramist. Her pieces were displayed at the Rockefeller Center in New York and the McCord Museum here in Montreal. Nature also inspires me very much. Water, beaches and everything about Italy! Growing up, I spent most of my summers there so it really reconnects me with my childhood.

What is your motto?

"Il sogno attira la realtà ", which literally means, "Dreaming attracts reality." I feel like it explains how it all started for me: I had a dream! In other words, I created a vision for the life I wanted and became just that.

What advice would you give the next generation?

Throughout the years, I’ve had many interns come to me for advice on how to break into the fashion industry. So many people think that you need help from others and good contacts.  That is not true! I did it on my own. You have to do it on your own because nobody is going to do this for you!

I honestly think that your success is linked to your challenges. If there are no failures, you cannot succeed. If I may say so, I’ve done crazy things! At 19 years old, I worked on my very first collection. I had put an ad in the Women’s Wear Daily to meet up with fashion representatives and I managed to book 30 appointments! When I got to the airport, the customs agent looks at my bags and says: "This ain’t going anywhere." I just had no idea I needed to fill out documents for designer goods! Thank God my parents were there with me. They grabbed the clothes and took them to the cargo to get them shipped to New York on time. All of this to say that it’s so important to learn how to face challenges and build resilience!

What is your educational background?

I took a three-year technical training program in women’s fashion design at Cégep Marie-Victorin. It was a very arduous process. We were 93 when we started and only 16 made it to the end! As soon as I graduated, I worked for this manufacturer called Annie-Lee Dresses to get as much brand-to-supplier experience as I could.

What personality trait has gotten you where you are today?

Positivity, 100% + Perseverance!

In moments of self-doubt or adversity, how do you build yourself back up?

I always struggled with self-doubt before every new collection launch or show. As a creator, you always live in doubt, right? It’s all just an illusion before it becomes reality. I think my positive side always ends up taking over and that’s what always helped me pick myself up. It’s simple, the word "problem" is not in my dictionary.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

I have so many things to be proud of and thankful for! My collections were featured in Vogue Italia, displayed at the world-famous Galeries Lafayette in Paris, but my greatest achievement of all was giving birth to my baby girl!

What makes Nadya Toto feel powerful?

Love. This four-letter word is the only reason why we live on this earth. The only thing that is essential and that we take back with us once we leave this place.

What is the biggest sacrifice you’ve made in your career?

Buying fabrics instead of filling my refrigerator with food. Thank God, my parents are Italian!

The Olimpia Questionnaire

What is your idea of perfect happiness?

Happiness comes from learning how to live in the moment. Life is so much more than just searching for what makes you happy. It’s happening right now so just embrace it!

I also believe that true happiness is invisible to the eyes, it’s what we feel. I find happiness in making other women happy. One day, I was at an in-store event. This woman walks up to me with a silk scarf wrapped around her head. She had cancer at a very advanced stage. With tears in her eyes, she just hugged me very tightly and said, "Nadya, I know these are only dresses, but I just wanted to tell you that wearing your creations brings me so much happiness!" What comes back to me goes way beyond the design and the fashion!

What is your favourite quality in a friend?

Honesty!

Name a fear or professional challenge that keeps you up at night.

Making great work. As a creator, you always find yourself thinking! At night before I go to bed, I visualize fabrics, prints, long dresses, short dresses…and that is how a collection is born! When people ask me how I come up with these ideas, I always tell them that they come during my most quiet moments.

Do you have public and private personas?

I definitely show all of me in the public eye! I’ve always considered myself a very transparent and honest individual. For instance, I would never design a certain type of dress because a store would ask me to do so. I design what I visualize and truly believe in. Being authentic as a designer is an essential driver of success and it’s something you can feel.

Do you have any regrets?

Not at all! If I had the opportunity to live life all over again, I wouldn’t change a thing to what led me here today. I believe there’s a reason for everything!

To learn more about Nadya Toto, please visit the website below.

https://www.nadyatoto.com/