Izzy Camilleri is known for her lines of adaptive clothing, designed for people in wheelchairs or otherwise restricted in movement.

As World MasterCard Fashion Week opened in Toronto, she showed a new fall line of clothing, called Miz, designed for older women. It uses magnetic fasteners to replace buttons and zips, which can be difficult to handle for people with arthritis or decreased dexterity in the hands.

Based on the styles of the 1940s and ‘50s, it leans toward multiple suit pieces and slim skirts.

“I think that's the kind of thing that the fashion world needs right now, niche things that are highly specific yet very practical,” says Jeanne Beker, host of FashionTelevisionChannel and a veteran of fashion television.

Camilleri’s innovative collection is one of the highlights of a week that includes both veteran Canadian designers and newcomers to the Canadian scene, according to Beker.

In an interview with CBC News, Beker tapped newcomer Duy Nguyen, a Montreal designer who she says has an artist’s eye. She also mentioned Stephan Caras, a Toronto-based designer who has only shown his collection in the U.S. and Europe in the last decade, but who is now returning to the Canadian market.

“For me it just really means that the focus is on fashion and designers' names are on the tips of everyone's tongues and everyone has their eye open for new trends. And there's an excitement that's being generated this week that is really palpable, it's just wonderful, and it's just really great to see so many Canadians really getting fashion,” she said.