{"id":1673,"date":"2022-02-24T13:17:06","date_gmt":"2022-02-24T18:17:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blackfashioncanada.ca\/database\/?post_type=cpt_portfolio&p=1673"},"modified":"2026-04-21T20:46:57","modified_gmt":"2026-04-22T00:46:57","slug":"len-d-henry","status":"publish","type":"cpt_portfolio","link":"https:\/\/blackfashioncanada.ca\/database\/profiles\/len-d-henry\/","title":{"rendered":"Len D. Henry"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\tPublished\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

June 2022<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\tUpdated:\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Month 20xx<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\tWords by\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Nishat Chowdhury & Madison Dolman<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\tFact checked:\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Charmaine Gooden<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\tProofread, copyedited:\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Carol Martin<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t

Highlights<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t
\r\n \t
Born in Jamaica, Henry immigrated to Toronto in 1968 and became a model, although he was often labeled \"too Black\" for editorial work.<\/li>\r\n \t
He transitioned his career to producing fashion shows, such as the groundbreaking Bronze Magic in 1981 featuring an all-Black cast.<\/li>\r\n \t
He created innovative projects like FashCam in 2003, Canada's first fashion movie, and hosted fashion shows for major brands and TV programs.<\/li>\r\n \t
In 2020, he launched nonprofit Mode Canada Rocks to amplify diverse Canadian voices and promote equity in the fashion, arts and entertainment sectors.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul><\/span><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
Visionary, powerful, infectious and engaging. These words were used by friends to describe the man sitting on the other side of the screen. Perched at his desk, he is dressed in a white crewneck, facing away from the gold-rimmed mirror, which illuminates the office space.<\/p>
Henry is the managing director of Mode Canada Rocks and chief executive of Delectant Media Inc. His aim is to promote equity within the fashion, arts and entertainment sectors, elevating Canadian creatives and brands. In fact, he’s been doing this his entire career.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t $\"Group$ \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
Catalogue work as the Black boy next door. <\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t $\"Man$ \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
Help us cite these images if you know more about them\u2192<\/a><\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
Early Life and Career<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
Len D. Henry was the first of six siblings to immigrate from May Pen, Jamaica, to Toronto in July of 1968.\u00a0<\/p>
While Henry calls the shots now, it hasn\u2019t always been like this. Back in the late ’70s and early ’80s, Henry modelled for Judy Welch and then Bookings. As popular as these agencies were, Henry couldn’t shake off the category of “friendly Black boy from next door’, \u201cI would get a lot of [cataloge ] work. I was a nice guy, okay looking,\u201d said Henry, though one fashion editor thought he was \u201ctoo black\u201d for editorial feature stories.<\/p>
This wasn\u2019t the first instance of racism Henry would experience in his lifetime. After being challenged by white clients, whilst deemed \u00a0\u201cextremely talented\u201d by creatives, Henry sought to make a different name for himself, stating that \u201cIt wouldn\u2019t matter what I looked like operating from behind the scenes.\u201d<\/p>
Henry had been awarded a dance scholarship by the iconic Canadian dancer, teacher and choreographer, Len Gibson, and went on to produce his first fashion spectacle ‘Bronze Magic’<\/strong> in 1981, showcasing an all-Black cast of models and designers to rave reviews. He remembers using Broadway shows, like West Side Story, as the framework for an event called Theatromania for Bookings, bridging the gap between theatre and fashion.<\/p>
And the entire Canadian fashion industry stood up and took note. Soon he was producing big shows for Aveda, GQ, Paul Smith, and the iconic American designer, Patrick Kelly, to name but a few. He quickly developed close contacts with many who loved his productions, which inspired him to leave modelling completely by 1990.<\/p>
Many of Henry\u2019s opportunities stemmed from his relationship with the late Jamaican-Canadian couturier, Winston Kong, who also acted as a mentor to him. Both men bonded over their mutual heritage, opera, culture and Henry\u2019s delicious recipe for curried chicken and rice and peas. It was Kong who, when asked by Henry why he designed using colour as boldly he did, encouraged him endearingly, \u201cLenny I\u2019m Jamaican.\u201d Henry learnt in that moment “you bring you.”<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
This special section creates a photo next to a pull-quote<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\u201cI needn\u2019t make it a Black show, but certainly I’m using idioms, imagery and ideas that I was born with.\u201d<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t $\"\"$ \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
Toronto Life Magazine: Gourmet Guide in 1982, issue titled \u2018Treasures of the Islands\u2019 - (Photo: unknown) <\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
Fashion and Diversity<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
Henry spent the ’90s working in collaboration with fashion designers, retailers and wholesalers such as SlavinRaphael. The president, Steven Slavin, describes Henry as his \u201cbrother from another mother\u201d after more than 30 years of friendship and partnership.\u00a0<\/p>
Slavin worked closely with him on fashion shows at the Art Gallery of Ontario, St. Lawrence Hall and Eaton.s starring Cindy Crawford. In preparation for his fifth show with Henry, Slavin recalls having a disagreement about the music for the fashion show. Shortly after Henry explained his vision for the show, with the inclusion of songs by the band Supertramp, Slavin said: \u201cLen, enough. I don’t even know why we questioned you. It’s perfect.\u201d<\/p>
Henry was ambitious in hoping that \u201cfashion would piggyback on music,\u201d and believed the most rewarding part of his job was the ability to get creative.<\/p>
In 1992, Henry won a MuchMusic Video Award for directing a music video for the R & B band B-Funn.<\/p>
He went on to invent FashCam in 2003, with the support of Laurie Belzak. Belzak, a sector development officer of fashion\/apparel and design for the city of Toronto, who says that she and Len \u201cgo way back.\u201d Henry filmed the first ever fashion movie in Canada, launched in partnership with the City of Toronto and Fashion Television. \u201cMy concept was to take a musician and their song and surround that with fashion,\u201d says Henry. \u201cBringing [them both] together, flipping the music video script.”<\/p>
Throughout the years, Belzak says that Henry\u2019s work would always be \u201cfresh, new and interesting because that\u2019s so important in fashion, but it would also never overshadow what was happening on the runway.\u201d<\/p>
Next, Henry moved on to television. From 2010 to 2012, he was the producer and host of Quebecor Media\u2019s StreetSeen,<\/em> fashion expert on W Network\u2019s How to Look Good<\/em> Naked<\/a>, Canada and host and mentor on Style Network\u2019s Wedding Dress <\/a><\/em>.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
Influence and Legacy<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
In 2013, Henry launched Delectant Media Inc. to help amplify the voices of Canadians he had met over the years.<\/p>
In 2020, Henry launched the not-for-profit company, Mode Canada Rocks,<\/em> which produced two \u2018important conversations\u2019 about diverse voices at the creative table: BLACK CANADIAN STYLE: H<\/em>ere\u2019s the Thing\u2026 and INCLUSION REVOLUTION.<\/p>
\u201cI’ve been very lucky to have had opportunities to apply my own instincts, my own story, my own Jamaicaness, [as well as] my own unique sense of colour, music and lighting,\u201d says Henry. \u201cI needn\u2019t make it a Black show, but certainly I’m using idioms, imagery and ideas that I was born with.\u201d Because, as Winston Kong<\/a> has indelibly imprinted on him, “I\u2019m Jamaican.”<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\u201cI would get a lot of [catalog] work. I was a nice guy, okay looking,\u201d said Henry, though one fashion editor thought he was ‘too black’ for editorial feature stories.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t $\"A$ \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
Henry poses with ropes, wearing athleisure. (Photo: Richard Weakley)<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
About the authors:<\/h4>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n
No posts found!<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n
No posts found!<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
Archive of images at BFC:<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\n
\n
\n \n <\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n
\n
\n
\n <\/div>\n
\n
\n\t \t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t
17<\/span>Comments<\/span><\/a><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
Share your thoughts:<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t