“All the classes I teach are very accessible,” says Leilanni Todd. “They’re fool proof for sure!” Leilanni’s warmth is evident from the first ‘Hello,’ and any fears about lacking skills, or encountering a fashion cliché — attitude — will be quelled at once.
Tucked away from the hustle and hubbub of Chinatown, Leilanni’s fifth floor eponymous workshop boasts an impressive view of the Toronto skyline (ideal to eyeball when sewing frustrations arise). The studio is very much the definition of the term: the atelier of an artist. Samples hang on clothing racks alongside patterns; giant mood boards are decorated with items that inspire (including a thimble-sized phone charm that would melt the heart of any tween); textile samples are strewn about, awaiting the magic of transformation. It is undoubtedly an artist’s space.
