Import From China Business
A practical guide for starting a small business
2010-
Import from China
Sell on eBay
Sandra Kell
Ontario, Canada
Baby Products
Profit This Year: $10,400
“I started with $1,000 and began importing baby products from China. I sell them on eBay, Facebook and in my local stores. After 8 months, I am earning $400 a week. I finally quit my day job!”
Learn How
Photo Credits: Girl Pushing -
Canadian Fashion
Background to Canadian Fashion
Canadian Fashion received a huge boost in 1967 when the Canadian government organized EXPO 67. This world trade fair which was held in Montreal Canada exposed Canadian design in fashion, architecture, graphics and technology to the international community. After the show was over, the Canadian government set up Fashion/Canada to promote Canadian Fashion.
Toronto, Canadian Fashion Center
Canadian Fashion is heavily influenced by Toronto, Canada's largest city and the center of Canadian Fashion. Every year there are two major Fashion Weeks featuring the big name designers of Canadian Fashion. Some of Canada's biggest fashion gurus come from Toronto such as Alfred Sung and Arthur Mendonca.
Alfred Song
- A Chinese Canadian designer who has built a conglomerate of apparel, fragrance, accessories and home fashions for women and men. He is the inspiration behind the brand and retail chain called Club Monaco .
Arthur Mendonca
- The Portuguese Canadian designer of women's ready to wear clothes has bold and sexy styles which have been embraced by the celebrities.
Toronto’s Canadian Fashion Districts
Toronto continues to be the breeding ground for talented, young, up and coming Canadian Fashion designers. Local creations are often featured at such boutiques as Propaganda, Courage My Love and Fresh Collective.
The key retail areas for Canadian Fashion can be found in several locations:
- For high end Canadian Fashion, there is Yorkville along Bloor West area. This is the home of Canada's more expensive high end designers such as Philippe Dubuc and Marilyn Brooks.
- For hip and trendy Canadian Fashion, Queen Street West and Spadina Avenue is the area to showcase local talents. Along Queens Street West past Spadina Street is known as the Fashion District. This section is full of Canadian fabric and upholstery wholesalers. Another area along Queens Street is the center of the rebirth of Goth in Toronto.
Getting Started in Canadian Fashion
Clothing and Fabric Designers
- If you are interested in creating a new look or a new style, then becoming a Canadian Clothing and Fabric Designer may be right for you.
- Some Fashion Designers do not have formal education but they gained their knowledge through apprenticeship. However, obtaining a formal education through one of Canada's 250 plus post secondary schools in arts and designs will put you further ahead.
- Many Canadian designers use fabrics and materials which are generated from local provinces such as wool, leather and fur from Quebec and Newfoundland.
- While some small Canadian Fashion companies still manufacture in Canada, many of the larger productions have moved overseas to places such as China due to cheap sources of labor. So a basic understanding of importing is required for the Canadian Clothing and Fabric Designers.
- Companies with the manufacturing done abroad will require their designers to travel to the production sites and develop samples and product prototypes.
Canadian Fashion Media
The first all Canadian fashion magazine, Flare began selling on the newsstands in 1979. Today, Flare magazine provides Canadian women with the latest in high fashion trends, beauty tips and style advice. The magazine began as a replacement for a former Canadian magazine called Miss Chatelaine. It became Canada's first successful fashion magazine focusing on young Canadian career women and providing them with predominately Canadian content.
Real Experiences!
Jim S. -
“Thanks to your site, we have opened a distribution warehouse in Canada. We have been working with importers of fashion products from China to sell high end clothes for the Canada Fashion Industry”
