Made you look Local designers planning showstopping pieces for New York Fashion Week By: AV Kitching Posted: 2:00 AM CST Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025

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This article was published 04/02/2025 (525 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Tijen Roshko doesn’t have time to sleep, but you won’t hear her complaining about the lack of rest.

Roshko, the creative genius behind avant-garde label Kolye TJN, and business and design partner Angie Kwon had only just caught their breath after their national debut at Startup Fashion Week in Toronto before a call came late last year inviting the label to New York Fashion Week.

Since then it’s been a whirlwind of 40-hour weeks ensconced in the studio, assembling 50 pieces from three collections to create 10 new runway looks as the label makes its entrance on the international stage.

It’s a numbers game, and a tight one at that, but Roshko, the heart, brains and soul of the operation, wouldn’t have it any other way.

“There is a lot of mathematics in putting Kolye TJN together,” she says.

“It all starts with numbers and connections.”

The invitation to show on Friday from NYFW runway production platform Runway 7 was completely unexpected, and Roshko is gratified that her work, borne out of necessity, is receiving international exposure.

A Kolye TJN piece, crafted of interlocking pieces of wool felt, can take anywhere from six months to a year to make.

This is high fashion, haute couture rather than pret à porter, but unlike the wobbly pedestal upon which the former stands, Roshko’s works invite the wearer to play.

“(We are) democratizing the art, taking away from the preciousness of an artist’s work — not to be touched or used in any other way than the one it was designed for… rather than doing that, we are making everybody an artist in their own right,” explains the designer, who is also an associate professor in the department of interior design at the University of Manitoba.

Pieces are connected to each other and interchangeable, presenting a multitude of possibilities.

Depth is added by layering, elements removed or replaced to alter textures, or change sizes. Aspects from one series can join with another to create an entirely new thing

Constantly evolving, each piece can transform to reflect how the wearer feels on any given day.

“We love when our customers come back with totally different ways of using our products. It is such a revelation and joy to see. We take pride in their originality. They can use our pieces in any way they want, they can interpret it in ways they see fit,” she says.

The team of three — Roshko’s research assistant, Danae McKennitt, completes the trifecta — have been working all hours to put together a cohesive catwalk collection, incorporating the label’s earlier pieces as well as more recent work.

Interspersed between will be three brand-new items: a caged skirt, a lace dress and a kelp skirt from Ocean, her latest series.

Creating three new garments in such a short time frame was an ambitious move, but the joy of creating wearable works of art transcends physical exhaustion, it seems.

Sleep is currently a dream to fulfil after New York.

“When you love what you do, it doesn’t count for anything, it doesn’t feel like work — it is a joy. The act of creation is healing, it’s something we find love in,” Roshko says.

The team left for New York on Sunday, ready for model casting and fittings, which take place early this week. There’s also plenty of time allocated for any final tweaks before Friday’s show.

Roshko she can’t wait for it all to unfold.

“We have worked pretty hard. The sequence of looks has been orchestrated very carefully. It is very complex; we consider what we are pairing each item with, and how the senses work together. Putting it together is fun and also stressful but a lot of satisfaction comes when we see the pieces. We are quite excited. And tired,” she says, laughing.

But Roshko has no complaints. A journey that started in 2020 has led her to places she hadn’t imagined and, when she strides on the runway to take her bow at the end of the show, she’s one step closer to attaining the kind of success she never planned for.

“It all began as an extension of my own personal creative studies,” she says. “I didn’t think this is where my explorations were going to lead me. Hopefully on Friday we will show off what Manitoba can do.”

Kolye TJN will be showing Friday at 7 p.m. in Sony Hall, 235 W, 46th St, New York. For more information go to runway7fashion.com

av.kitching@freepress.mb.ca