In the heart of Toronto’s queen west neighbourhood, where the city’s creative pulse arguably beats strongest, Josephine Kent, the visionary behind Verseau, is quietly working on her latest drop for the brand, Moto 001. On a brisk afternoon in her studio—a sanctuary of creativity adorned with swathes of denim, vegan leather, and leopard prints—Kent reflects on the inspirations that fuel her designs.
“Each piece is a dialogue,” Kent says, gesturing towards a rack adorned with bralettes and swimwear pieces that blur the lines between daring and delicate. “It’s about the interplay of materials that aren’t traditionally juxtaposed. It’s about bringing a level of aesthetic referentiality that the city is sorely lacking.” The designer is correct; for all of its pomp and pretense, fashion in Toronto often feels like it is eternally 10 years behind. With MOTO, Kent is trying to move the needle, with wearability at the forefront. “You see runway collections in Toronto that are too cluttered with design choices that, at the end of the day, are just simply not wearable, they exist to be looked at. Verseau is about sex appeal, and tongue-in-cheek referentiality, sure, but it’s rooted in wearability at it’s core.” Here, the supple touch of vegan leather meets the rugged texture of denim, and the wild patterns of leopard print challenge the conventional palette of swimwear.
Kent, who founded Verseau in 2016, has always been known for her commitment to merging style with sustainable practices. The brand offers limited edition drops hand-crafted by the designer herself. “I value slow fashion practices above all else. These pieces are hand-made, and are meticulously workshopped to find a fit and a movability that feels organic and empowering.” The Moto 001 Collection is no exception. It employs vegan leather to stunning effect, creating silhouettes that are both sleek and pared-back but also bold and conscious of the brand’s ecological footprint. “Choosing vegan leather isn’t just an ethical decision,” she explains. “It’s a design choice. It molds, it moves, and it transforms in ways that complement the human form.”
The collection features an array of distinctive pieces: bralettes that pair bold leopard prints with the subtle sheen of vegan leather, and swimwear rendered in denim—a nod to the timeless, yet continually evolving, essence of the fabric. Each piece invites the wearer to display confidence and embrace a unique aesthetic that stands out in any setting.
Accompanying these are trucker hats emblazoned with phrases like “Cherry Verseau” and “If you ever need me whistle,” which Kent describes as “conversational pieces that embody the brand’s cheeky side.”
The editorial shoot for the collection, captured by the lens of Liminul Magazine’s Cody Rooney, echoes the collection’s ethos. The images are more than just visual sales pitches; they are a manifesto of style, showcasing the textural contrasts and the interplay of light that Kent believes are central to understanding her designs. “Our collaboration with Liminul was about capturing the essence of these materials in motion—the way they exist not just as garments, but as extensions of the person wearing them.”
As Kent prepares for the upcoming release, her anticipation is palpable, yet she remains grounded in her vision for Verseau. “Fashion is cyclical, but the way we feel in our chosen skin—that’s eternal,” she muses. With Moto 001, Josephine Kent isn’t just preparing her clientele for the coming seasons; she’s inviting them into a narrative woven from the threads of innovation, aesthetics, and sustainability.
Her approach is not merely about clothing the body but about speaking to personality —a philosophy that promises to keep Verseau at the forefront of conversations in Toronto’s burgeoning scene.
Designer/Stylist: Josephine Kent
Photographer/Co-Creative Director: Cody Rooney
Set Assistant/Co-Creative Director: Nathan Redburn
Set Assistant/Co-Creative Director: Matt Oster
Model: Elizabeth
Model: Anne Marie Alpa
Cody is the Editor in Chief and senior contributor at liminul.
He is a photography aficionado, fashion enthusiast, avid Lana Del Rey fan, and lover of all things aesthetically pleasing.
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