Siphay Southidara

Laos-native Siphay Southidara has been part of the Toronto fashion scene since 1990, but it took him almost a decade before he launch his own label.

Born in Vientian (Laos) in 1972, Southidara moved to Canada in 1979 and enrolled in the fashion program at Marie-Victorin in 1991.

Encouraged by friends and faculty, Southidara entered the Smirnoff Fashion Awards competition in 1994 and was named the Canadian grand prize finalist. His quest to better his art led him to work in the fashion industry where he perfected his illustration, creation, patternmaking and sampling skills.

After graduation, Southidara apprenticed with Canadian designers Marie Saint Pierre and Todd Lynn.

A recognized talent on the Canadian fashion scene, Siphay launched the Yso design label in 1999 which helped him gain quasi cult status on the local scenes. His style, which can only be defined as rough but über-feminine, has a definitely contemporary approach.

YSO, an acronym stemming from the last letter of his first name and the two first letters of his last name.

YSO is available at Scandale, Collection 24 and U & I in Montreal, and at Holt Renfrew in Toronto.

In 2004, he joined the Parasuco design team as research and development consultant. This new position enabled him to further grow creatively while perfecting his design techniques.

A free-lance designer since 2005, Siphay SOUTHIDARA has given into another one of his passions: the arts of the scene. As Head Art Director and Head of Workshop for numerous plays and films, Siphay has worked with artists such as Brigitte Haentjens, Robin Aubert, Marie Brassard, Lhasa, Patrick Watson, Louise Lecavalier, Tedd Robinson, Sylvain Émard and Le Cirque du Soleil. He has also participated in international exhibitions like the Biennale de Montréal in 2002 and the Biennale de Saint-Étienne in 2004.