Defining style: Alumni shaping fashion, design and experiences

Four Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) alumni are shaping how people live, work and interact with the world through style and design. In this article, we hear about the moments that defined their careers, the inspiration behind their work and the approaches they use to bring creativity to life. From sustainable wardrobes and residential architecture, to interior design and immersive events, their work demonstrates how intentional design can guide daily experiences, elevate spaces and create meaningful connections.

Clifton Leung

Interior Design ’93
Founder and Chief Design Director, Clifton Leung Design Workshop

Clifton Leung’s path in design began in Hong Kong when, as an elementary school student, he won an Outstanding Contribution award in a toy design competition. When it came time for post-secondary education, he discovered TMU’s interior design program and took his first step into the field in 1988. Almost a decade later, in 1997, he founded Clifton Leung Design Workshop (external link, opens in new window)  in Hong Kong, an award-winning practice guided by his philosophy of “Minimalism to Maximization,” which reflects the belief that space is limited but design is infinite.

Born in Hong Kong and raised in Canada, Leung brings a Canadian sense of space together with Hong Kong’s demand for precision and speed. “This tension between East and West became my creative engine,” he said. “That’s the alchemy of living between cultures. You stop seeing contradictions and start seeing completions — the yin and yang of design.”

Looking back, he describes his time at TMU as an initiation into the designer’s life. From long nights in the studio to assignments that combined creativity with technical precision, the experience shaped how he approaches design today. His portfolio, which spans more than 25 years, includes residential, hospitality, retail, health care and public space projects. From Michelin-starred restaurants to telecom stores and fashion brands, his work prioritizes livability, with every space designed to be purposeful.

Photos above: Clifton Leung, Interior Design ’93; Designs from Clifton Leung Design Workshop
 

Donald Lococo

Architectural Science ’86
Founder, Donald Lococo Architects

Donald Lococo’s path to architecture began with piano. He started studying seriously in high school, quickly advancing through the grades and performing at award-winning levels under the guidance of multiple teachers and a renowned Toronto music professor. One afternoon in Buffalo, New York, a boarded-up building caught his eye. The experience stopped him in his tracks and changed the trajectory of his life. After spending what felt like an hour studying it, he knew architecture was his calling. Encouraged by his teachers and accepted into TMU’s Architectural Science program after an in-depth review of his drawings and musical ability, Lococo began the rigorous training that would shape his career. Years later, he learned that the building that inspired him was the Prudential (Guarantee) Building, a national landmark in the U.S., designed by Louis Sullivan.

Established 30 years ago, Lococo’s Washington, D.C-based firm, Donald Lococo Architects (external link, opens in new window) , approaches residential design from a lens informed by music. “Architecture is music frozen in time,” he said. “I use architecture — and the procession through spaces and experiences in the same way that a piece of music uses rhythm, counterpoint and a theme.” Lococo designs across styles, from historic and traditional to contemporary and ultra modern, ensuring each home feels intentional, functional and deeply personal. His work has been nationally recognized, earning over 80 regional, national and global awards, and has appeared on more than a dozen magazine covers and in over 100 print publications.

Lococo advises aspiring architects to spend time working in architectural offices to understand the practical limitations of the field, such as gravity, zoning regulations, building codes, budgets, timelines and the needs of the homeowner. He believes that achieving effortless, functional homes requires navigating these constraints with care and precision.

Images above: Donald Lococo, Architectural Science ’86; Images 2–4: Modern home architecture, Ocean Sundial design, courtesy of Donald Lococo Architects; Images 5–7: Traditional home architecture, courtesy of Donald Lococo Architects
 

Jaclyn Patterson

Fashion Communication ’15
Sustainable fashion advocate and personal wardrobe stylist

Jaclyn Patterson has built her career on helping clients feel confident and authentic through personal style. She began in 2014 on the inaugural styling team at Saks Fifth Avenue Canada before launching her own styling business (external link, opens in new window) . Over the past decade, she has worked with hundreds of clients worldwide — from working moms to Olympians to entrepreneurs, helping them to simplify their wardrobes, repeat outfits with ease, invest in quality over quantity and ultimately wear what makes them feel their best. Her approach focuses on slow, intentional fashion — choosing fewer, better-made pieces with less environmental impact — that elevates style while simplifying everyday choices.

“Great style, to me, is about alignment,” she said. “It’s not just how you look — it’s how you feel in what you wear, and how it reflects your values, lifestyle and identity.”

In 2020, Patterson launched Shopwise, a curated online marketplace for sustainable fashion brands. The venture was supported by TMU’s Fashion Zone, an incubator that provides mentorship and resources for emerging fashion entrepreneurs. While Shopwise is currently being revamped, Patterson continues to champion conscious fashion and thoughtful wardrobe choices, mindful consumption and a future of greater transparency, accountability and circularity in fashion. She encourages aspiring stylists and entrepreneurs to enter the sustainable fashion space by building values-led brands and communities.

Images above: Jaclyn Patterson, Fashion Communication ’15; Jaclyn at a speaking engagement.
 

Lesley Morphy

Interior Design ’01
Founder and Chief Creative Officer, This is Lester

Lesley Morphy’s design journey began at TMU, where she built her first art portfolio from scratch. After moving to New York, she discovered set design and realized she could merge creativity with music and large-scale productions. That work evolved into creating backstage experiences, which became a new industry known as experiential marketing. Building a name for herself through these projects, which included stage and set design for global artists such as Beyoncé, Gwen Stefani and Madonna, eventually inspired her to launch This is Lester (external link, opens in new window) .

Under Morphy’s leadership as Founder and Chief Creative Officer, her team has delivered award-winning activations and events for brands such as Stanley, Armani Beauty, Honest Company and Restoration Hardware, blending high design with execution. “Every small choice contributes to the atmosphere and how people experience a space,” she said, emphasizing that style in experiences is both strategic and deeply felt.

Morphy credits TMU’s interior design program with preparing her to be adaptable and collaborative, skills that laid the foundation for leading an agency. She sees the growth of experiential marketing as an opportunity for brands to create in-person connections where details elevate moments from ordinary to memorable.

Images above: Lesley Morphy, Interior Design ’01; A This is Lester produced experience for Stanley;  A This is Lester produced event for St. Tropez; This is Lester produced experience for Armani