It is quite “ick” that the modern artist/designer biography is a summary of productivity and legitimacy within the colonial capitalist definitions of “valuable” labour and “skilled” ability. Anyways, I digress. Here I go with that exact type of biography because I’m not a nepo-baby and I do need to sell my body/labour for just-get-by/livelihood.
My name is Charlotte “Char” Carbone (they/them). I am a queer non-binary Asian adoptee artist and designer. I hold a BDes (in Fashion Design) and MFA (in Interdisciplinary Art/Media/Design). My industry expertise spans 15+ years working in community arts programming, street dance community organizing, and costume design. My practices are grounded by my lived experiences and relationships.
In order to be an accountable and effective culture worker beyond rhetoric, I have come to accept the non-linear unglamorous process of growth which includes many capitalist failures and exiles. I want to be a lifelong cycle breaker, a system disruptor. Not with the goal to take the oppressor’s place, but to abolish systems of inequity and injustice through critical praxis. This asks of me to push back with force, to reject polite crumbs from gluttonous people, to “kill the vibe” and be slyly disinvited from the next meeting (ask my alma maters who I have never accepted a job from).
Closest to my heart are my queer trans* racialized kin in the ballroom community. Everything I do, everything I am, comes back to planting seeds for better futures. Often my work faces all flavors of rejection or co-option. I definitely am on a blacklist or two, the words “DIFFICULT TO WORK WITH” beside my name because of how advocacy is interpreted from a body like mine. Asking for above-minimum or questioning due process is seen as an attack.
But I will continue to exist, “to attack”, because to surrender my body and pacify my spirit: now that would be the most profound failure.
I look forward to working together.
me@charcarbone.com
My Services
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custom apparel design, sample making, pattern making, draping, techpacks, alterations
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spot illustrations, repeat patterns, vectors, sketches, tattoo design
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punking-waacking, hand performance (voguing), contact improv, street dance, freestyle, live performance, video performance
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art/design curriculum development, lesson planning, workshops, 1-1 mentoring, portfolio reviews, panel discussions, keynote speaking
ART & DESIGN FREELANCE WORK
2025-present, Communications Lead (Collective of Child Welfare Survivors)
2025, Set Designer (Winter Wonderland installation for the Weston Village Community Association)
2025, Costume Designer (Peel Me by Eilish 미정 Shin-Culhane)
2025, Costume Designer (Be Vardų, Be Kojų by Brigita Gedgaudas, presented by SummerWorks)
2025, Set Designer (The Tweetations Present: Mona’s Magic Hour, stage play by Fraser Collins for Arts In The Park)
2024, Product Developer & Production Coordinator (Mercury Stardust Media)
2024, Assistant Costume Designer (Macy Murdoch season 2, TV series by Shaftesbury for CBC)
2024, Wardrobe Key Stylist (Bestest Day Ever with My Best Friend, kids TV series by Lopii Productions)
2024, Wardrobe Key Stylist (The Fabulous Show, kids TV series by Lopii Productions)
2022-2024, Graphic Designer (AdopteesOn Podcast hosted by Haley Radke)
2023, Assistant Costume Designer (Ainsi va Manu, francophone TV series by Josiane Blanc)
2023, Graphic Designer (Mix & Mingle Pride Campaign, AIDS Committee of Toronto)
2023, Graphic Designer (Dream It To Be It, TV series produce by Lopii Productions)
2023, Assistant Costume Designer & Sample Maker (Gelede Queens, short film by Destinie Adélakun)
2022-2023, Tattoo Apprentice (ALTF4 Studio)
2023, Assistant Costume Designer (Switched At Death, feature film directed by David Merry)
2023, Graphic Designer (Adopting Wellness Podcast hosted by Katie and Laura)
2022, Producer & Costume Designer (PriXm & The Psychedelics Show)
2022, Mural Artist (Stella’s Place Assessment & Treatment Center)
2022, Set Decorator (BARK, short film directed by Ganesh Thava)
2022, Costume Assistant (FANCLUB, TV series directed by Jahnelle Jones & Kat Khan)
2022, Costume Assistant (Black Life Canada, CBC docuseries)
2022, Designer (McDonalds Canada, Journeys Campaign produced by Label 428)
2021, Designer (IKEA Canada, international Pride couch campaign)
2021, Costume Designer (Canadian Ballroom Extravaganza, CBC Arts series)
2020, Mural Artist (Church Wellesley BIA)
2019, Featured Artist (URBANI_T Fashion Presentation at Nathan Phillips Square)
2019, Gallery Artist (ENSO Showcase by ENSO)
2018, Costume Seamstress (National Ballet of Canada)
2016, Costume Seamstress (Front & Center Dance Academy)
PERFORMANCE & TEACHING FREELANCE WORK
2022-2024, Street Dance Artist Facilitator for (UNITY Charity)
2024, Dancer (PriXm at Asian Pride Stage for Pride Toronto)
2024, Gogo Dancer (BE A NEW HO by New Ho Queen for Pride Toronto)
2023, Gogo Dancer (BESERK by New Ho Queen, Rivoli)
2023, Waacking Dancer (Nightmare on Queer St by Queer Collective, The Great Hall)
2023, Waacking Dancer (Blockparty by The Bentway)
2023, Waacking Dancer (Family Pride Stage with S.O.Y. & Pride Toronto)
2023, Waacking Dancer (Gender Euphoria y2K Edition by Queer Collective & Pride Toronto, Coin 8 Studio)
2023, Artist Facilitator (Lakeshore Arts x RexPride x Q Summit)
2023, Lead Dancer (PriXm x Leila Jane Keeney for Eurosong 2023)
2022-2023, Artist Guide (Peace Camp, Children’s Peace Theatre)
2022, Dance Artist (Bodies of Nature live performance by KINAJ CO)
2022, Lead Dancer (Not 3 Not 4, short film directed by Renee Wong)
2022, Waacking Dancer (Queer Collective, The Gladstone)
2022, Waacking Dancer (York Region Pride, main stage)
2022 Waacking Dancer (Gender Euphoria by Queer Collective & Pride Toronto, The Gladstone)
2022, Voguing Dancer (GLAMOUROUS, CBS x Netflix TV series)
2022, Waacking Dancer (Cozmic Love at the Drake Underground)
2022, Lead Dancer (Universal Music Canada, music video directed by Iris Kim)
2022-2023, Artist Guide (Peace Camp, Children’s Peace Theatre)
2016-2020, Fashion Design & Construction Teacher (Sew Be It Studio)
ACADEMIC & CORPORATE DESIGN WORK
2025, Guest Speaker (Panel Discussion on Cultural Appropriation, York University)
2023-2024, Teaching Assistant (Art History of the 19th-20th Century, OCADU)
2020-2022, Apparel Product Developer (MAD Engine LLC)
2020, Curriculum Developer & Facilitator (School of Fashion, Toronto Met University)
2019-2020, Technical Designer & Product Developer (Jaytex Group)
2018-2019, Adaptive Clothing Designer (Monarch Clothes)
2018, Research Assistant (Dr. Ben Barry, School of Fashion, Toronto Met University)
2017, Teaching Assistant (Textiles course, School of Fashion, Toronto Met University)
2017, Guest Speaker (Fashion Awards, School of Fashion, Toronto Met University)
2017, Guest Speaker (Research Methods course, School of Fashion, Toronto Met University)
2016, Production Assistant (Menswear course, School of Fashion, Toronto Met University)
2016, Guest Speaker (Intro to Fashion course, School of Fashion, Toronto Met University)
2016, Student Representative for School of Fashion (Ontario University Fair)
GRANTS, RESIDENCIES , & GALLERIES
2026, Low Vision: Disability Justice Street Dance Pedagogy (Ontario Arts Council, Canada Council for the Arts)
2025, Chronic Punk Crip Waack: Disability Justice Street Dance and Ancestral Movement Research (CanAsian and Toronto Dance Theatre)
2025, Chronic Punk Crip Waack: Disability Justice Street Dance Research (TO LIVE Explorations)
2025, Chronic Punk Crip Waack: Disability Justice Street Dance Program (ArtReach and Toronto Arts Council)
2025, Project Best Dressed: QTBIPOC Ballroom Sewing Program (ArtReach and Toronto Arts Council)
2025, Contemporary Textile Studio Co-op Residency (401Richmond and OCADU)
2025, UNADOPT ME (Masters thesis solo show, OCADU Great Hall Gallery)
2024, Project Best Dressed: QTBIPOC Ballroom Sewing Program (ArtReach and Toronto Arts Council)
2024, WHERE WE LIVE (graduate group show, OCADU Graduate Gallery)
2023, Messodology (graduate group show, OCADU Open Gallery)
2023, Dance In Public Space Residency (Toronto Dance Theatre x The Bentway)
2021, The Vizzybility Project Grant (Vizzy Hard Seltzer, Queer Collective, & Priyanka)
PUBLICATIONS & MANUSCRIPTS
Carbone, C. (2026). Orange Orphan. Toronto, Canada. Vermin Magazine, Issue 3.
Carbone, C. (2025). Unadopt Me: critical queer adoptee consciousness and alternative family models. Masters thesis, OCAD University.
Carbone, C. (2023). Vogue For Your Life: Connecting radical activism in ballroom and grounded normativity in Indigenous resurgence. Unpublished essay written for Critical Theory at OCAD University.
Carbone, C. (2021). Trans* inclusivity in fashion retail: Disrupting the gender binary with queer perspectives. Intellect Books. Clothing Cultures, Volume 7
Carbone, C. (2021). I’m Not A Zine, Not Yet A Book. Issuu Inc.
AWARDS
2022, Winning Designer (Sustainability Design Challenge by Fashion Zone and Indian Consul)
2022, Queer Emerging Artist Award Recipient (Buddies In Bad Times)
2022, The Resilience Fund Recipient (The Canadian Dance Assembly)
2018, Season 1 Winner (STITCHED reality TV series, Slice of Corus Entertainment)
2021, Alumni Pride Champion (Toronto Met University)
2018, Faculty of Communications and Design Dean’s List (Toronto Met University)
2018, 3rd Place in Industrial Athlete Design Competition (Logistik Unicorp)
2017, 1st Place in Canada Post Uniform Competition (Logistik Unicorp)
2016, 2nd Place in Scrubs Couture Design Challenge (North York General Hospital)
2016, Faculty of Communications and Design Dean’s List, (Toronto Met University)
CERTIFICATES & EDUCATION
2023-2025, Master of Fine Art in Interdisciplinary Art, Media & Design (OCAD University)
2022, Restorative Justice & Peacebuilding Training (Peacebuilders Canada)
2022, Transformative Justice & Conflict Resolution Training (Freedom School Toronto)
2022, Youth Empowerment & Engagement Training (Student’s Commission of Canada)
2014-2018, Bachelor of Design in Fashion Design with Hons (Toronto Met University)