Orangeville woman aims to empower women through art and fashion

Robin Bobechko hosted “Dusk Till Dawn” fashion show at Alton Mill Arts Centre on October 19

By ZACHARY ROMAN

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

An Orangeville woman is making her dreams a reality.

Robin Bobechko's mission is to empower women through art and fashion, the way she was. On October 19, she hosted a fashion show called “Dusk Till Dawn” at the Alton Mill Arts Centre.

In addition to the fashion show, the event featured wine, cocktails, food, shopping and door prizes.

Bobechko was a financial advisor for 27 years and is now semi-retired from the profession. She's always had a passion for art, but really picked up painting again during the pandemic. 

This January, she began to take art more seriously and started selling paintings. By February, she decided she wanted to put her art on clothing, and by June, she held her first fashion show.

Pursuing art is something Bobechko always wanted to do; however, it never happened. She said the pandemic, and her successful battle against breast cancer, changed her way of thinking. 

“I thought, ‘why am I not doing what I really want to do?',” said Bobechko.

Bobechko said many women struggle with their body image, and this is something she always keeps in mind.

“My fashion is fabulous for every body shape,” said Bobechko. “It's really important to me that when someone puts on (one of my pieces) they feel great. That is empowering.”

Bobechko first got into making clothing by partnering with Montreal-based company Le Galeriste. They specialize in putting artists' patterns on clothes. Soon, Bobechko realized she wanted to design her own silhouettes as well. In addition to Le Galeriste, Bobechko now works with local seamstress Vanessa Mitchell.

Hosting a fashion show at the Alton Mill Arts Centre was an amazing feeling for Bobechko, and she said she couldn't have done it without the help of her friends.

Leading up to the fashion show, Bobechko did a fundraiser for the Orangeville Food Bank.

Through sales of her “Love” collection, she raised $500. On the night of the fashion show, an anonymous donor matched this total and $1,000 was given to the Orangeville Food Bank.

Orangeville Mayor Lisa Post was in attendance for this presentation, and also participated as a model in the fashion show.

“I like to give back… I'm now a committee member on the fundraising team for the food bank,” said Bobechko. 

Katherine Vellinga is the co-founder of Zirkova Vodka, which provided complimentary mixed drinks for the fashion show. 

Vellinga said her company is all about giving back, and loved the idea of a local fashion show.

“This was all about supporting local, supporting a woman's dreams and aspirations… that was important to us,” she said.