Suzanne Rogers
Photo: Chris Nicholls
“Since fashion brings me great joy, I wanted to channel it into something personal & special to help children – here in Canada & around the world.”
Photo: Chris Nicholls
“There are so many smaller charities that go unnoticed that I try to bring attention to grassroots charities that really make an impact in so many people’s lives.”
In addition to her ongoing series of Suzanne Rogers Presents galas, which have raised over $3.7-million for children’s charities since 2010, Suzanne’s remarkable philanthropic efforts, most benefiting children, span a spectrum of noble projects, including:
HONORARY FOUNDING CHAIRPERSON of the ONEXONE Foundation, an organization focused on improving the lives of children. Since its inception in 2005, ONEXONE has raised well over $10-million for global children’s causes
SUPPORTER AND CONTRIBUTOR to Millennium Villages, an initiative that aims to end extreme poverty, disease and hunger across Africa’s poorest regions
COMMITTEE MEMBER of Scrubs since 2006, hosting events that raise more than $300,000 annually in support of The Hospital for Sick Children. To date, Scrubs in the City has raised over $11 million for SickKids.
CO-CHAIR of the 2008 Chanel Gala & Fashion Show, raising over $1.2-million for HealthyKids International
MEMBER of the 2009 Brazilian Ball Committee, with $2.7-million in proceeds donated to the Sick Kids Foundation
HONORARY CHAIR of the 2009 and 2010 POGO (Pediatric Oncology Group of Ontario) Ball, with over $400,000 raised to help support children with cancer and their families
From 2012-2017, HONORARY CHAIR of the Butterfly Ball, raising more than $2,492,000 for Boost Child & Youth Advocacy Centre.
FOUNDING AMBASSADOR of the Canadian Arts & Fashion Awards (CAFA) and Jury Member since its inauguration in 2014, and, beginning in 2018, benefactor of the The Suzanne Rogers Designer Grant for International Development, a $20,000 award presented to an outstanding Canadian designer or fashion brand
HONORARY CHAIR of Le Grand Bal, supporting Oolagen, a not-for-profit children’s mental health agency, in 2014 and Covenant House in 2015
BOARD MEMBER Toronto Fashion Incubator and, from 2015-2017, benefactor of the $25,000 Suzanne Rogers Award for Best New Label
CHAIR Covenant House’s 2016-2017 “Just Like A Girl You Know” campaign, raising more than $10-million to combat sex trafficking
HONORARY CHAIR of Canada’s national Governor General Performing Arts Awards from 2015-2017
BENEFACTOR of The Suzanne Rogers Fashion Institute at Toronto Metropolitan University, created to bridge students' transition from education to entry into the industry. The program was established in 2017 with a $1-million donation from The Edward and Suzanne Rogers Foundation
CO-CHAIR, in November 2017, of Haute Affair, a fashion gala premiering Giambattista Valli’s Spring/Summer 2018 collection, raising $760,000 for The Dotsa Bitove Wellness Academy and The Darling Home for Kids
Performance Segment Sponsor and partner of Original Costume Design for Mad Hot Ballet, The National Ballet of Canada since 2017
BOARD MEMBER, SickKids Foundation since 2020
FOUNDING and proud supporter of Women Empowerment Awards from 2022
From 2022, patron and supporter of The Annual Berghammer Christmas Dinner, Elliot Lake, Ontario
HONORARY Co-Chair, Bonfire Bash, Campfire Circle 2023, helping healing through happiness to kids with cancer or serious illness and their families
HONORARY Chair, Bruce Bailey’s Canadian Fete Champetre, supporting The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, Canadian Opera Company and Inuit Art Foundation in 2022
HONORARY PATRON, 2023, One Life Gala in support of Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, raising over $460,000
HONORARY CHAIR, L23K Gala, supporting Contemporary Calgary. The event raised $1,070,000 supporting expansive programming and exhibitions.
SUPPORTER and CONTRIBUTOR to St. Joseph’s Foundation of Elliot Lake, with a $1 million donation supporting health care for Elliot Lake and the community in 2023
HONORARY CO-CHAIR, The 19th Annual 519 Gala – Alan Cumming: UNCUT
CO-CHAIR, Sinai Health Foundation, Cause for a ‘Pause event for the launch of the new Centre for Mature Women’s Health, Mt. Sinai Hospital, the first of its kind in North America, October 2024
Suzanne Rogers is a Canadian fashion enthusiast and notable supporter of the Canadian fashion industry. Her passionate involvement extends across a spectrum of events and organizations, including most recently, benefactor of The Suzanne Rogers Designer Grant for International Development, a $20,000 award presented to an outstanding Canadian designer or fashion brand at the Canadian Arts & Fashion Awards (CAFA). Suzanne is also a Founding Ambassador and Jury Member of the CAFA’s. Additionally, she is a columnist for the quarterly luxury lifestyle magazine S/Magazine.
Suzanne supports a wide spectrum of programs that directly help to improve the lives of children within Canada and around the world. She has raised over $3.7-million for children’s charities with her signature events “Suzanne Rogers Presents,” which welcome international designers for a full fashion show and gala. The most recent, a luncheon and fashion show with Victoria Beckham, included an intimate chat with Victoria, hosted by Tim Blanks, Editor-at-Large, Business of Fashion. The previous luncheon, saluting Diane von Furstenberg, included an intimate conversation with the iconic designer, hosted by André Leon Talley. Past galas showcased Oscar de la Renta, Marchesa and Zac Posen, which inspired the feature-length documentary House of Z.
Over the years, Suzanne has provided continued support to the fashion programs at Toronto’s Ryerson University. In 2016, Ryerson launched The Suzanne Rogers Fashion Institute (SRFI), made possible through a $1-million donation from The Edward and Suzanne Rogers Foundation. The SRFI Fellowship program serves to enrich the next generation of Canadian design talent and bridge students’ transition from education to practice.
Suzanne further contributes her leadership skills to: Covenant House and its recent campaign “Just Like a Girl You Know” to combat sex trafficking; the Butterfly Ball in support of Boost Child and Youth Advocacy Centre; Haute Affair in support of The Dotsa Bitove Wellness Academy; and The Darling Home for Kids. She also served as the Honorary Chair of the Governor General Performing Arts Awards from 2015-2017.