For Jacob Laing, designing denim wasn’t always the plan—but a love of fashion and a deep curiosity about how garments are made led him there. In this feature, the JCI Fashion grad shares how his path took shape, what it’s like to work at Aritzia, and why finding your fit in the industry starts with being open to growth.

JCI’s recent collaboration with Poshmark Canada brought secondhand fashion to life. Fashion Design students upcycled pre-loved garments into one-of-a-kind pieces, then styled and auctioned them live from our campus. With 300+ viewers and proceeds supporting Covenant House Vancouver, the event showcased how fashion can be creative, sustainable—and impactful.

Natalia Elaydi came to Canada at 17 with big dreams and limited English. Today, she’s the founder of MILA—a sustainable beauty brand challenging industry norms with plastic-free palettes and purpose-driven design.

In a bold editorial shoot, JCI Fashion students reimagined secondhand style. Using pieces sourced from Poshmark Canada, they brought new energy to pre-loved garments—proving that sustainable fashion can be both expressive and editorial-worthy.

As secondhand fashion continues to surge in popularity, JCI and Poshmark Canada teamed up to show how resale can be seamlessly woven into fashion education. Grounded in shared values of sustainability, innovation, and community, this partnership gave students hands-on experience in styling, upcycling, and reimagining the future of fashion.