FASHION Magazine

See the street style from Montreal’s Festival of Design and Fashion » The now defunct Semaine de mode Montréal (a.k.a. Montreal Fashion Week) has been replaced by the Montreal Festival of Design and Fashion [http://www.festivalmodedesign.com/en], a week-long festivity celebrating all things fashion and design. The festival’s first edition was met with much fanfare, as the […]

The post The 21 best street style looks at Montreal’s new and improved Festival of Design and Fashion appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

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For this black and white photo shoot from our November 2013 issue, we pull from our own talent pool and prove that Canadian models in Canadian designs make perfect pairings this fall. Check out the best from homegrown talents like Rad Hourani, Sid Neigum, Duy and Travis Taddeo and more as worn by standout models hailing from right here in the Great White North.

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:

Boxing Day: It strikes fear in the hearts of retail workers, and trumps Christmas celebrations for all bargain addicts. For the rest of us, it’s an opportunity to pick up what our well-meaning significant others didn’t end up buying us for the holidays. If you are willing to brave the cold, the lineups (like the one pictured above at Toronto’s Eaton Centre), and the inevitable Christmas hangover, here are some shops that you should check out.

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If there’s one main takeaway message from fashion week, it’s that we must recognize, foster, and promote our home-grown talent so that it can grow both here and abroad. With this in mind, the inaugural Mercedes-Benz Start Up competition was held last night, and up for grabs was a year of mentorship from industry leaders (including us at FASHION!) to kick-start a fledgling collection. After a rigorous selection process (preliminary competitions, meetings, tense deliberations) the short list was whittled down to Cassie Dee, Martin Lim, Travis Taddeo, Triarchy, and UNTTLD, and united in Toronto for a runway showdown. Short video montages introduced each designer, their vision, and their inspiration for the coming season. We saw a dark, leather-laced collection (UNTTLD), a western-inspired line (Cassie Dee), a denim parade (Triarchy), some disheveled streetwear (Travis Taddeo), and bright billowy silks (Martin Lim). After a brief designer bow, a surprisingly flustered Jessica Stam took to the podium to announce the winner. Drumroll please… Husband and wife team Pao Lim and Danielle Martin of Martin Lim! Now comes the real hard work—keeping our promises and making sure they get the attention they deserve! Stay tuned for the duo’s wears in an upcoming issue of FASHION.

There’s less than a week to go before the five Mercedes-Benz Start Up finalists hit the runway at LG Fashion Week to show their Spring 2012 collections. Ready to see what Cassie Dee, Martin Lim, Travis Taddeo, Triarchy, and UNTTLD have been working on? As the official media sponsor, FASHION Magazine will be live streaming the entire event. But before the grand reveal, find out more about each of the finalists and what inspired their collections.

As the Montreal and Vancouver Mercedes-Benz Start Up finalists are busy at work on their upcoming Spring 2012 collections, to be shown during LG Fashion Week, we take a look back at how it all got whittled down to the final five: Martin Lim, Travis Taddeo, UNTTLD, Triarchy, and Cassie Dee.

The post Video: Go behind the scenes at the Mercedes-Benz Start Up semi finals in Vancouver and Montreal appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

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Montreal Fashion Week rolled into town yesterday and parked herself at the usual spot at Marché Bonsecours in Old Montreal. But the first show to kick off the Spring 2012 collections was off-site at Harricana. Mariouche Gagné debuted her new écono-musée de la creation de mode, a kind of open atelier where the public can discover first hand her upcycling methods. Tired fur coats, wedding dresses, and old leathers that enter the building eventually exit as haute manteaux, whimsical separates, and trendy accessories.

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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.