Although there isn't a "Canadian fashion scene" as such west (or east) of Toronto and Montreal, there are a handful of up-and-coming designers who have international markets and still call this half of Canada home. Meet two of them – Rahim Panju of Calgary-based PÜSCH and Shainin Hudda, who helms SoulDaisy in Vancouver.

Both labels are relatively young and growing. PÜSCH started eight years ago; SoulDaisy three years ago. Neither designer feels that they are put at a disadvantage by living where they do. "Today, you can live and design almost anywhere you want. You can go to the hub and be part of the scene without living there," says Hudda. Panju echoes her sentiments.

"The fashion community in Calgary is small. Although we are based in Calgary we spend a considerable amount of time traveling. Personally, I like being in a city where there is a small fashion community; it allows us to stay experimental and do our own thing."

For some reason, it doesn’t feel like the stuff you see when you flip through Vogue. And it isn’t because the clothes aren't cool - they are. It's just that most of the hype is missing. As Hudda says, "Clothes are great; they help us define our style. But in the end, they're just something to pick and get out and live your life in."

A smaller label gets away with things a larger label couldn't - the buttons on SoulDaisy’s Kianna dress are actual vintage buttons, dug up from a button manufacturer's basement, dating from about the early '70's.

- Christina Weese, THE COMMUTER MAGAZINE [Jun/Jul 2003]