The Olympics are synonymous with sportsmanship, triumph of the human spirit, and, of course, corporate sponsorship. But when the world descends upon our fair city this month, eco-fashion designer Ingrid Doerr wants out-of-town visitors to see more than just Olympics-sanctioned, five-ring-emblazoned fashion and art. She wants them to see, meet, and buy from genuine Canadian artisans who handcraft pieces on their home turf without the aid of overseas factories or multinational marketing campaigns.

That’s why she’s taken on the monster task of putting on the Canamade 2010 Winter Market, a two-part, 27-day fashion and art fair at 151 West Cordova Street in Gastown (the old Storyeum site), which runs from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily, from February 12 to 28 and March 12 to 21. With 120 venders taking part, tourists will get a taste of the very best the Great White North has to offer in the way of design. It’s a huge undertaking, but Doerr knew that going in, and after spending 15 minutes with this one-woman powerhouse, it’s pretty clear that if there’s one person who can rise to the challenge, it’s Doerr. But why her? Well, as she points out, no one else was stepping up to the plate.

Neto will have lightweight leather coats in fiery red, at Canamade. Erich Saide photo.

“Yeah, Vanoc doesn’t really want something like this because they want people to shop at HBC [the Bay],” says Doerr, who talked to the Straight during one of her epically busy preparation days at the Canamade site. “And I just wanted to do something because nobody else was doing handmade products throughout the Olympics, so I just wanted to get everyone together.”

Which she has. She’s got artisans from every corner of the country setting up shop. She made a special point of reserving two full rooms for First Nations booths. “I wanted a full section of aboriginal art because I really wanted them [aboriginal artists] to represent, and I think aboriginal art is going to be a big draw for tourists,” Doerr says. “I mean, they can go to Water Street and buy a tourist thing, but they can’t meet the artist.” Among the standouts here is Enpaauk, an East Van painter who puts a pop twist on traditional Coast Salish designs.

One of the biggest challenges for Doerr was finding enough venders to fill the space and agree to do six-day stints. “It was hard after coming off of a hard year,” says Doerr, who makes and sells silk-screened T-shirts ($25) as well as accessories made from recycled bicycle inner tubes ($20 and up). “A lot of people don’t have a lot of money right now. A lot of the markets have been really slow, like even through Christmas.”

When it comes to local fashion, there are plenty of booths worth checking out at Canamade, including Victoria’s Catalyst Reaction. Here, you’ll find silk-screened leather belts with panoramic cityscape designs that integrate the buckle into the scenery. Look for the Vancouver special ($90), which designer Kat Bachmeier makes year round, and not just for tourists. As well, there are beautiful and funky multipurpose shawls ($120 to $265) by Helena Margareta. Another highlight is Gastown’s Neto, which specializes in lightweight leather coats ($550 to $700) that are perfect for spring weather.