Atelier Coin is a clothing brand based in Victoria, BC, that will soon be featured on the runway of the Vancouver Fashion Week. It’s a brand that not only prides itself on individuality and sustainability, but also references something we all (as Sudburians) know very well: the Big Nickel.
Cameron Lizotte, a designer who was born and raised in Sudbury, founded Atelier Coin when he was still in high school. The young designer was tasked with creating a brand for one of the assignments in his high school fashion course when he thought of the name.
The name itself is a pun, as Lizotte explained it. ‘Atelier’ is the French word for ‘workshop’, but in the fashion circles it refers more to a design studio. ‘Coin’ is the French for ‘corner’, so Atelier Coin could be translated as ‘corner studio’.
However, Lizotte is using ‘coin’ in the English sense, as in a form of metal currency, a reference to his roots in Sudbury, the nickel capital of the world.
“Back in high school, we had a project to create our own brand in a fashion course,” Lizotte said. “And I actually took it to heart. I really stayed up nights thinking of what represents me because I actually wanted to do it for real (even though) it was just a class project.
“I'm proud of where I come from … so,(the name) ‘Coin’ is actually a representation of Sudbury. So, coin is my roots, like the nickel beneath me, because we're the nickel capital of the world,” Lizotte told Sudbury.com in a phone interview.
Lizotte didn’t always have a passion for fashion. He held a hockey stick long before he held a sewing needle. The 6-2, 200-pound designer was an OHL defenceman for four years, plying his trade for the Peterborough Petes, Barrie Colts and Erie Otters between 2013 and 2017. He was known as a skilled body-checker and his hits regularly made OHL highlight reels.
But all the while he played hockey, he tuned into his interest in clothing and how it was made.
“I really envied artists at the time. I loved how much freedom of expression they had. Being a hockey player, I had this stereotypical kind of persona, and I couldn't get past that with people,” he said.
But once he learned the basics of sewing, there was no going back.
“Once I learned the basics, I kind of became very, I guess, obsessed. I loved it because my world revolved around so much violence. And so it [making clothing] was so relaxing,” Lizotte said.
Since then, the artist has come a long way, from travelling around Ontario for hockey games to travelling thousands of miles to have his clothing featured in Paris and at Vancouver Fashion Week.
Just a month before the interview with Sudbury.com, Lizotte was scouted by Paris Fashion Week to join the show as a part of the new and upcoming designers portfolio. As amazing as it was to be featured at one of the world’s great fashion cities, Lizotte said that he is especially excited for the Vancouver Fashion Week to have more control in making the show his own.
The clothing that Lizotte will feature in the upcoming show in Vancouver has a bit of an Eastern Asian influence.
“ I make what I would want to wear. That keeps it simple like that. I live in Chinatown (in Victoria, BC), so I am very inspired by Chinese and Japanese culture. The silhouettes and the choice of layers (is something) I am very inspired by lately. But it's forever changing, and that's the fun part,” Lizotte said, trying to explain the collection he will feature in the show.
His Atelier Coin designs often represent a collection of thoughts and emotions during a period of time in his life. It can represent growth as well as the environment he is surrounded by. All of the pieces are handmade by Lizotte. He hopes to make a lasting and unforgettable impression on the audience for the upcoming show.
“I definitely want to leave people thinking that there's a new guy in town, and we got to watch out for the new designer,” Lizotte said.
The show will be held in Vancouver, BC but the organization will also have a livestream available online for anyone who wants to hop on. Atelier Coin’s runway will go live at 6:45 p.m. PST on April 10.
Eden Suh is a new media reporter at Sudbury.com.
