The Order of Canada, one of the country’s highest civilian honors, was awarded today to Susan Keiko Langdon, Executive Director of Toronto Fashion Incubator (TFI). Langdon, a Toronto-born, third-generation Canadian, was made a Member of the Order of Canada for her contributions to the fashion industry as an executive, mentor, and educator who has positively impacted Canada’s culture and economy. She is an inspiring leader and mentor to the hundreds, if not thousands, of fashion entrepreneurs and business leaders she has encountered and encouraged over her long, illustrious, and celebrated career.
Langdon is a constant who has always been at the forefront of the industry, genuinely working behind the scenes to support and build robust creative communities and networks. Having been a successful fashion designer in the late 80s, Langdon has brought her wealth of experience and insider industry knowledge to inspire generations of fashion entrepreneurs.
In 1994, Langdon was appointed to the award-winning non-profit, Toronto Fashion Incubator, as the first visible minority woman to hold a leadership role in the Canadian fashion industry. While hearing Langdon speak as she accepted a lifetime achievement award from Fashion Group International, she shared her family history as Japanese Canadians placed in prisoner of war internment camps in British Columbia during World War II. Her parents, both Canadian born, felt ashamed to be labeled “enemies of Canada” and as a result, Langdon grew up never feeling “good enough”. Though she’s faced racism and systemic bias, Langdon continuously strived towards perfection to win the respect she thought she wasn’t given as effortlessly as others may have.
These experiences motivated her to strive for equality and inclusiveness, through her work, to ensure everyone has an equal opportunity to succeed. Without government funding for fashion entrepreneurs, Langdon’s dedication and determination to selflessly devote her career to supporting and promoting fashion entrepreneurs have not only brought distinction to Canada’s fashion design industry, but also the world. She has mentored and guided the businesses of the likes of Line the Label (now famous for dressing Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex), internationally renowned Sid Neiguim, long-standing and celebrated designer labels such as David Dixon, Joeffer Caoc, Foxy Originals, Jenny Bird, and newcomers including Indigenous designer Lesley Hampton. We congratulate Susan Keiko Langdon, C.M. on receiving this extraordinary honor.
For further information, visit The Governor-General Website.
Photos: Donna Santos (Main) and George Pimentel Photography
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