TORONTO — A Montreal-based designer has landed on the fast track to fashion victory as the winner of the Via Rail uniform design contest.

Xiao Wei took home top honours at an event held Thursday at Toronto’s LG Fashion Week.

She was one of three finalists selected from 23 entries in the competition, where designers from across the country were invited to create a new look for Via Rail Canada employees.

Wei, who primarily designs handbags and accessories for Rudsak, takes home $10,000 in Via Rail travel credits.

Toronto designer Nada Shepherd, who will be showcasing the latest designs from the NADA label Thursday, and Prince Edward Island’s Adelee MacNevin rounded out the top three.

Wei said the inspiration for her look was practicality. For women, a navy zip-front dress is set off by a red print neckerchief and a red waist pouch designed to store pencils and tickets. For men, a white-collared shirt is accented with satin piping, allowing the individual donning it to go with or sans tie.

She said she’ll probably use her travel credits for a cross-country trip to Vancouver.

Lynn Pellerin, product manager, long haul services for Via, said the rail service’s employees were invited to participate in an online forum in which they could say what they liked and disliked about their current uniforms.

“What’s most important was comfort, functionality, that it not be too out there fashion-wise,” she said.

“If you look at this dress, it’s just a zipper front. It’s the simplest thing, but yet it looks fashionable, and with the three-quarter sleeves it looks great.”

The Fashion Design Council of Canada, which organizes Fashion Week, teamed up with the national passenger rail service to issue the cross-Canada challenge to designers.

The winning concept will serve as inspiration for the new uniform design, which is slated to be rolled out in 2012.

“What you see here is not necessarily what our employees are going to be wearing down the road because we as a company are going through a rebranding process,” said Pellerin.

“We’re renovating all our trains with new colours and designs, so the uniform has to fit that,” she added. “Maybe the colour will be different, maybe the fabric will be different, (but) it really is the inspiration.”

Copyright © 2009 The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

By Lauren La Rose (CP)

Canada By Train: The Complete VIA Rail Travel Guide

…