FASHION Magazine

See the top 10 moments from Montreal Fashion Week Spring 2014 »

Montreal Fashion Week has wrapped its 25^th season with Spring 2014. On the heels of an official statement announcing major structural changes (read: budget cuts) to the biannual event as soon as February 2014, there was a wistful “end of an era” wind in the air. Will we say goodbye to Arsenal as our MFW headquarters? Will there be runway presentations next year? Only time will tell. But before we look ahead and contemplate the future, let’s look back at spring 2014 top 10 moments. Be ready for the return of black and white and sheer fabrics next spring and summer.

View our Montreal Fashion Week Spring 2013 photo gallery! »

It sure wasn’t easy getting into the groove of fashion week the day after Labour Day weekend, but this season’s Semaine de la mode was a success on many levels. A brand new venue, the return of practically all of Montreal’s cult fave designers and the city’s first ever participation in the global event of Fashion’s Night Out made for four fabulous days that will be hard to forget—and difficult to outdo next year. Here’s our round up of the top moments from Montreal Fashion Week Spring 2013:

For Alexandre Despatie, diving is all about aesthetics. “Every time I step on the boards, I’m judged by how I look,” says the two-time Olympic medallist while on set at his Men’s FASHION cover shoot in Toronto. “It’s a fact I live with. My form has to be sharp. Every angle of my body is studied—it’s what I’m marked on.”

At a solid five-foot-eight and 155 pounds, Despatie’s frame is noticeably well toned. As he approaches the camera in a brief black swimsuit, an air of confidence radiates from his diamond-cut build. “Our bodies are our machines—our Formula One race cars,” he later says, after throwing on a pair of jeans and a T-shirt. “They need to be perfect to run well.”

In the midst of preparing for the London Summer Games—his fourth Olympiad to date—the Montrealer is clearly running on overdrive. Heading to the gym six days a week, he maintains a schedule that befits his title as Canada’s 36-time senior diving champion. Yet his daily routine—which includes 1,000 crunches, one hour of strength training, 20 minutes of trampoline work, an indoor cycling program called PowerWatts and 50 sets of ab exercises called “pike-ups”—is something he feels “lucky” to be able to  do at all.

View the photo gallery »

As we reported back in early June, Mercedes-Benz and IMG have introduced Start Up, their internationally lauded joint competition and mentorship program for up-and-coming designers to Canada. Well, here we go!

Early Wednesday, the first Start Up step was put into place, as I—along with a slew of notables including designer Marie Saint Pierre and FDCC president Robin Kay—judged the Montreal semi-final applicants. As a fan and avid supporter of Canadian fashion, I was thrilled to be a guest judge. Especially since FASHION Magazine is the official magazine sponsor!

The lineup for the outdoor extravaganza Festival Mode & Design Montreal, starting today and running through August 6th, is sure to be a circus of amazing events. And while tonight’s big fashion buzz surrounds Jean Paul Gaultier‘s ready-to-wear show, I’m also in a tizzy over all the local talent.

To really discover the backbone of Montreal street style, here are my five must-see shows that highlight local talent.

1. Montreal Fashion Week highlights
August 3 at 9 p.m.

In case you missed Semaine de la Mode last February, you can see all the fall and winter 2011/12 looks on one stage–and then go shop their looks, which should all be in-store by now. The models are some of Quebec’s most beloved stars, including Francisco Randez, who is the face of JPG’s fragrance, Le Male. Look for my coups de coeur: the sexy femme style of Barilà, avant-garde Denis Gagnon, glittery baubles by Micalla, and Mulcair’s tailored tomboy chic. Also part of the show is the dress by Kwantlen University student Earl Mabaquiao that won the Télio contest. I had the honour of wearing his dress to a posh event this past spring. (Thank you, Earl!)

See more of our festival picks! »

From the opening of his new boutique to his upcoming collaborations, it seems that Montreal titan Denis Gagnon (along with his signature thick black Lanvin frames) is just about everywhere these days. “You certainly are a man with vision, just how strong are those glasses anyway?” I asked him last week at the opening party for his new boutique in Old Montreal. Be it modesty or my seriously awful French, Gagnon just shrugged.

Come spring, I like to let loose, literally. This drape-y, raw-edged dress by Philippe Dubuc pour Icône allows me to run around town in easy-breezy style, similar to the label’s newest face, model Irina Lazareanu.

Montreal designer Denis Gagnon (www.denisgagnon.ca) gave FASHION the exclusive inside scoop that he has created the new uniforms at Le Place d’Armes (www.hotelplacedarmes.com), one of Old Montreal’s most stylish boutique hotels.

There was an unusual gathering yesterday on a massive ship docked at the Alexandra Quay in Montreal’s getting-hipper-by-the-second Old Port. Menswear designer Philippe Dubuc shot his fall campaign here and guests were invited to “jump aboard.”

Some journalists (I wasn’t the only one, was I?) didn’t read the invite carefully, and so gasped (read: freaked out) upon viewing the ladder (steep and tall) that was the only entry point of the unorthodox venue. Not such a big deal in flats, but for me in heels, another story. My friend Georgia, wearing a mini-skirt, was even more taken aback. Sorry G.! Besides the regular Montreal Mode crew, guests included National Post fashion writer Nathalie Atkinson, and local TV celebs, including Virginie Coosa.

Blame it on the recession or the freezing temperatures, but the mood at Montreal Fashion Week was at once festive and dark. Crowds braved the icy sidewalks in their shiny stilettos and lightweight coats to flock to the illuminated Marché Bonsecours, where there were few shows but a good dose of fun parties.

The hell with cold! I’m putting on my four-inch heels, my chapka and my fringe skirt for Montreal Fashion Week (March 2 to 5, semainemodemontreal.ca), returning to Marché Bonsecours with a line-up that’s more daring and exciting than ever.