School of Fashion

Waneta Ryan

Waneta Ryan

Fashion Arts

“Seneca taught me my first stitch. I wouldn’t be where I am if they hadn’t given me the chance.”

Waneta’s dedication, tenacity and the skills she learned at Seneca have kept her career climbing. Shortly after graduating from Seneca, she earned her first full-time job as a CAD technician working on colours and patterns. Today, Waneta designs bottoms and graphic tees for actor Matthew McConaughey’s clothing line Just Keep Livin’. She also spent three years as Nautica’s Canadian Design Director. Previously, Waneta made garments through her own venture Double You. Spurred on by growing requests for custom-fit dresses, she’s now developing an online design-your-own service called Paperdoll Partydress. Waneta looks back with gratitude that Seneca accepted someone who had never touched a sewing machine before, and wouldn’t have known how to thread one. In return, she now returns to Seneca to share her expertise with today’s students.