For the first time, Ottawa Fashion Week (OFW) is officially partnering with Winterlude in February and will stage its fashion showcase at a new venue in the downtown Westin Hotel.  

Visitors can warm up to some winter fashions as models showcase collections for the fall and winter seasons inside the hotel ballroom from Feb. 17 to 19.  

Winterlude attracts more than half a million visitors to the Ottawa-Gatineau region during the three-weekend-long festival, so OFW creative director Bruno Racine said it was a smart idea to host OFW around the same time. He said more than half of the 5,000 people in attendance each year at OFW are from out of town.

“They’ll see what Winterlude is all about at the same time because for a lot of them, it’s their first time in Ottawa,” said Racine. “They can say, ‘Wow, there’s something going on in Ottawa.’”

Designers from Toronto, New York and London are expected to attend the show.

Local designers who are creating a buzz in other parts of the world are going to be showcased as well.

“I’m excited about our local designers (who’ve) been growing through this.”

Internet site reference: http://www.metronews.ca/ottawa/local/article/1049810--fashion-week-embraces-winterlude