MFW Day 1 – Things aren’t looking good
Day 1 of Montreal Fashion Week is over.
I am exhausted. I was stuck at the same venue for nearly 11hours. I came home with two goodie bags, one containing a pair of crocs (no, not the ugly crocs thankfully), Eye Candy The Volumes magazine, chips and pamphlets. I missed out on getting an M0851 goodie bag which had small leather items like keychains and a wallet.
I made a couple of new friends, 2 buyers from Massachussetts and another girl from a local independent publication called “La Belle Epoque”. Talking to them certainly helped passed the time, although I wish I had met them earlier during the 3 hour break inbetween the first show and the cocktail hour. I read my book for a solid 2hrs perched on a stool downstairs at the snack bar. Paid $12.50 for a ham sandwich, pasta salad and small chocolate cake.
Befriending these new people was fascinating and exciting. I got to ask questions I’ve always wanted to ask to buyers and the journalist knew all the dirt on the inner workings of what the Chabanel industry is like. Chabanel is the garment district in northern Montreal where buyers can buy directly from the showrooms and don’t have to assist all the fashion show shenanigans in the Old Port. I’ll talk about that tomorrow.
Enough of my social antics. I can’t reveal much about the shows, but I’d have to say for today, Muse by Christian Chenail was the best show. This shocks even myself since I really didn’t care for his last 2 collections at all, but this season he really pushed the envelope and I was amazed that he could produce such a great collection.
The worst show was Envers by Yves Jean Lacasse.
Ok.
What is up with this guy? People are clamoring to see his shows, but his collections are terrible!! He’s like a bad Jean-Paul Gaultier wannabe, at least Gaultier still knows how to make clothes. I think the only notable talent Mr. Lacasse has is creating these nice tailored jackets in embroidered fabric for men. But he does that for EVERY collection. Ugh. Enough. I’m never going to his shows again. I’m not the only one to think so, the expression on people’s faces were priceless. One guy was just squinting his eyes, his jaw dropped open as the male models passed by, trying to figure out what in the world was going on.
Marie Saint Pierre? At first I was impressed with her, but not anymore. It’s always the same thing, you can see it on people’s faces, they start yawning, they get bored. And does she even try to venture out onto different fabrics? I don’t think so.
More juicy gossip.
This morning’s press conference was one hot pressure cooker. I was relieved to know that some local journalists are still journalists at heart. One lady who freelanced for Le Devoir asked that although the industry is full of talented designers, what was the government going to do to help them position them on an international level? Mr. Bachand, minister of Economics of Quebec, mumbled his way through his answer, only reiterating what he had stated earlier in his speech, and flat out didn’t answer the woman’s question. I have never seen a more plastified smile on a person’s face like Mr. Bachand’s before. This isn’t a good sign. It seems to indicate that the govt has absolutely no idea how to spread our designers on an international level business wise. All they believe is that promoting creativity will be enough to propel some 600 yearly new designers on a global scale….right.
Another woman asked that the manufacturing industry is downsizing in Quebec and moving elsewhere to Asia like China and Vietnam, so what would the govt do to bring back those lost jobs? Sensation Mode’s co-president answered that although it was unfortunate that manufacturing jobs are moving elsewhere (because of cheaper labor), they hope that the creativity and design of our fashion designers will make up for the difference. Er….ok. I’m guessing that these manufacturing jobs will be lost for good then. What’s the point of boasting our Canadian manufacturing industry (being third behind NY and LA in North America) when nobody is trying to save it?
Ok what’s wrong with this picture? Is the govt trying to save the fashion industry or not? And I hate how they try to paint Montreal as THE Canadian fashion capital. Wrong. It’s Toronto. Even I know that. People aren’t exactly clamoring to come here are they? It’s even more insulting trying to lump us together with NY, Paris, Milan and London Fashion Week, when we are a bazillion light years behind them on an international scale. We may be fashion forward, but our business models suck globally. Don’t sugar coat the facts!
I’m really starting to become disappointed about the state of our fashion industry. It’s in terrible shape. At least Mr. Bachand had a redeeming phrase towards the end of his speech: “We are still working within a frame of a strategy. A strategy is not written in stone.” So they’re working on it. Let’s hope they get it right before I die!
March 26th, 2008 at 8:24 am
ENVERS is the best!
only a word….unic!
you are bad to write this blog.
March 26th, 2008 at 8:53 am
Dahlia! I was at the Lacasse show as well last night and could not agree with you more! It was my first fashion show and the whole time I was wrinkling my nose because I was so unimpressed…but I fiugred hey, I must not know fashion as well as everyone else… and I agree, fashion capital of Canada is Toronto not Montreal (let’s not try and be something we are not).
great post…very enlightning…too bad you did not end up with the M0851 goodie bag!
March 26th, 2008 at 10:12 am
@DJ
I’m bad for writing my opinion on a designer? If the whole world agreed that every designer was a good designer, I think the world would be pretty bland. But if you like his designs, then great! Keep supporting him.
@Trendini
I guess if people like to see “shows” then by all means, Envers was entertaining. But on the practical side of things, I don’t think a lot of men or women would be willing to wear those outfits in public. That one buyer I was talking to said she used to be a costume designer and his designs looked like costumes.
I’d like Montreal to be a fashion capital, but currently we’re not it, I’m hoping we will in the future though.
March 26th, 2008 at 8:08 pm
Firstly, too bad on the M0851 goodie bag. I would have LOVED getting one of those.
I find it really interesting that you feel TO is the fashion capital of Canada. As a person who lives here (and frequently visits Mtl) I just don’t see it that way. I’m not suggesting that I know anything about how Mtl. fashion is doing in the details – simply that I don’t think TO is doing any better. When I think of all the lines I really like – from disposable (Jacob) to midrange (Femme de Carriere) to higher-end (Ca Va de Soi) – and I could easily name another 5 brands – Montreal fashion is the Canadian standard, IMO.
March 26th, 2008 at 8:32 pm
je suis désolé chere dahlia, mais je dois dire que tu ne comprennes rien de la mode…Chenail, Lacasse et Saint-Pierre sont les colonnes de la mode de montreal. Chaqun a son style…j’adore les trois…Chenail tres classique, Lacasse fabuleusement historique et ethnique, Saint-Pierre urbaine et contemporaine…c’est ca la mode…la mode est tous les styles…ENVERS est un maitre de la mode, tres connu aussi à l’etranger…avant d’ecrire des cochoneris il faudra bien que tu te renseigne…de plus j’etais dans la salle..et tout le monde a apprecié le défilé…les gents se sont levées pour feliciter M. Lacasse…pas si deçu que ça non???
reflechir avant parler…l’unic conseil que je peux te donner.
March 26th, 2008 at 9:29 pm
@Francois:
C’est bien beau que tu adore les trois, mais juste a cause que toi ou d’autres personnes ont apprecies les trois designers, et que moi je n’ai pas aime celui d’ENVERS et de Marie Saint Pierre ne veut pas dire que je connais rien de la mode. C’est quoi connaitre la mode? Tout le monde a une definition pour cela. On ne peut plaire tout le monde et le succes international est tres bien pour n’importe quel designer, je ne contredit pas que M. Lacasse ou n’importe qui d’autre ne le merite pas. Mais personellement, en tant que gout, sur la coupe, les couleurs, la continuite, les details, le feeling, et me voir dans ces confectionneries…les designs n’etaient pas a mon gout! C’est tout.
J’apprecie que vous avez pris le temps de m’ecrire, mais dire que j’ecris des cochonneries simplement parce que je ne suis pas du meme avis, CA c’est de la cochonnerie. On ne peut avoir un democratie envers les opinions de la mode?
En passant, une dizaine de personne qui se sont levee pour applaudir n’est pas la foule entiere quand meme.
March 26th, 2008 at 9:40 pm
@K-Line:
I don’t know, I always figured since the L’Oreal Fashion Week is much bigger than ours and because Toronto is a huge metropolis to attract international buyers and labels, so I thought it was the more iconic fashion capital. Some of our best designers (Andy The Anh and Nadya Toto) have gone over to Toronto to show their collections to cast a wider net for buyers. Aqua Di Lara showed there last year and the designer told me that stores here don’t buy locally made swimwear, they only import European brands.
I guess from an economic standpoint Toronto would edge out, and maybe creatively Montreal is the better city.
March 26th, 2008 at 10:21 pm
ah bon Dahlia…tu connais la mode?
t’as l’air d’avoir 16 ans et moins…ça parait que tu es a ton premier défilé….vrai défilé..et comme d’autre tu venais juste pour reçevoir des sacs cadeaux…tu n’etais meme pas invitée j’immagine…ah que c’est beau de dire de connaitre la mode en lisant les magazines cheeps acheté dans des depanneurs…continue à rever et à t’habiller chez jacob…je ne serai pas si fiere de le dire à tout le monde que je m’habille la en passant….bon petite j’ai perdu deja trop de temps avec toi…vas te coucher tot au lieu de t’infiltrer dans un monde qui ne t’appartiend pas…bonne nuit…reve reve reve un nouveau monde où nous tous serons habillés chez WINNERS!
bye bye
March 26th, 2008 at 10:23 pm
@Francois.
Ok good riddance
March 29th, 2008 at 11:15 am
I have a feeling that “François” is actually YJL.