Shoulder Pads to Stilettos

Nathalie Atkinson is a Toronto-based culture journalist and film critic. A regular contributor to The Globe and Mail, Zoomer magazine, and member of the Toronto Film Critics Association, she has also published freelance writing for FASHION, Vulture, CNN Style, BBC Culture, and Noir City. In addition to guest lectures and on-stage interviews at Hot Docs, TIFF, VIFF, TIFA, the Toronto Public Library, the AGO, and the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, Nathalie is the creator and host of Designing the Movies, a monthly film series of notable art direction, costume and production design on screen.

Suzanne Boyd is the editor-in-Chief and Publisher of Zoomer Magazine. Prior to her current role — Suzanne was named Editor-in-Chief of Suede magazine, which was named to Advertising Age’s prestigious A List and was also lauded in The New York Times, The New York Daily News, Italian Vogue and Women’s Wear Daily. Renowned for her pivotal role as Editor-In-Chief (1996-2004) of the then Rogers Media fashion title FLARE magazine, Suzanne was the first person of colour to helm a national Canadian publication. Suzanne’s reported essays and personal journalism have also appeared in Maclean’s, The Toronto Star, O The Oprah Magazine, O at Home and Vogue. As one of Canada’s original influencers, Suzanne regularly appears on TV, radio, and digital platforms – providing lead commentary from politics to pop culture; and is perennially named to multiple Best Dressed lists. INSTAGRAM: @suzanneboyd_

Allisa Swanson has been in the movie biz since 1994. Her first job in costumes was in Los Angeles as on the show Gun starting James Gandolfini and Patricia Arquette. Her costume design credits include Firefly Lane on Netflix, Disney’s Turner and Hooch, The CW’s The 100, and her current project So Help Me Todd for CBS. Allisa is often referred to as the ‘kind” costume designer who inspired actress Selma Blair to publicly share her Multiple Sclerosis diagnosis in 2018.

Nishi Bassi is a Curator and Exhibitions Project Manager with over 10 years of experience in the museum industry. Her educational background is in British history, and current research interests include fashion, consumer culture, and post-colonialism. She is also an EDI champion, who strategically plans and advocates for change to ensure that accessibility remains a priority in all projects. Nishi has been with the Bata Shoe Museum since 2013 where she currently works as the Curator and Manager of Exhibitions. She also holds a volunteer position on the Board of Directors for ICOM Canada. “Dressed to Impress: Footwear and Consumerism in the 1980s” is her first major solo exhibition, and will be accompanied by a publication in spring 2024.