Abby Gaskin is a MA student in the department of East Asian Studies at the University of Toronto. Abby has an extensive background in Fashion Design (designing, creating, and consulting) and has been involved with New York Fashion week since 2017. In 2019, Abby presented her own collection at Hong Kong fashion week as a finalist in the ReDress design awards (the world's largest sustainable fashion competition). Abby's passion for learning the Japanese language and exploring Japanese culture stems from her background in fashion while living in New York City. After completing her undergraduate degree at The New School’s Parsons School of Design in NYC, Abby was hired at the New York City UNIQLO headquarters as a member of the design team for women’s knitwear and lounge clothing. Practicing her Japanese while working professionally in the world of fashion was an exciting combination for Abby, and now switching focus to the academic world, deepening her study of the Japanese language at the University of Toronto.