Since May 31, Torontonians are able to find handcrafted jewelry made from precious stones and metals, contemporary handbags in waxed canvases and fine leathers, bespoke menswear items and industrial furniture under the same roof.

The Toronto Designers Market, a year-round marketplace dedicated to the sale and promotion of some of the city’s up-and-coming designers, has launched inside the Parkdale Theatre.

The Toronto Designers Market will be open year round and will showcase over 39 local designers.

The market will be home to a variety of items, from high fashion and fine jewelry to re-purposed antiques and industrial design.

The idea is to help bring exposure to young entrepreneurs in the design community, and the founder, Joshua James, runs the market as an affordable space for local designers. His mission is to enable them to sell their products to the public without the costly overhead of renting or owning their own store. The vendors are not subject to consignment fees — they retain 100 per cent of sales and have full control over pricing. They are also encouraged to be creative with booth design and concept.

“I know how hard it is for young creative minds to make it in a competitive city like Toronto,” says James. “I figured a market like this would take some of that pressure off.”

The Toronto Designers Market is the brainchild of Joshua James.

James, who is a local entrepreneur himself, first became involved with this effort when he started Goodfellas Gallery to help bring exposure to emerging artists. He then went on to host the Parkdale Flea to give fellow entrepreneurs an opportunity to sell their product.

The TDM, however, takes things yet another step further. Young designers will now have the ability to showcase their brand to the public five days a week instead of on a monthly basis. James hopes this will help support those who wish to turn their passion into a career.

The TDM runs weekly, Wednesday to Sunday, and is free to the public.