I wish I had better things to say about Montreal Fashion Week, only because I keep hoping that something good will be in store every time I go there. But I am always left disappointed, bored, and unimpressed. It’s true, I’ll be blunt. It takes a lot of guts to put on a show, hire models, rent the space and produce a collection supposedly worthy of a buyer’s time and media’s coverage. But, so many of these designers have shown subpar collections, year after year. Clearly they don’t influence current trends at all, and honestly I have barely noticed any of the local big buyers at Ogilvy or Holt Renfrew stocking these long-time fashion designers on their racks, except save Marie Saint Pierre (who is not showing this season, for unknown reasons).  Yet are generously covered in the media year after year, with no sense of criticism whatsover. Other designers are supported locally with their own money racked up by sales from their boutiques across the city, and a few across the country. I’m not seeing the cream of the crop here, people. Where are they?

I think the biggest letdown was the show of the Createurs Francais, a showcase of Who’s Next coming all the way from France. I have high respect for the French, after all, haute couture and fashion today would not be possible were it not from French innovation into fashion. But I was sorely disappointed to what was on the runway. Creativity was there but was put down by poor choice of fabrics, prints that made me think of bed sheets and curtains, and missing refinement. Only one of the creators stood out, David Kurtis, with silky dresses and shining beaded straps, and a superb winged cape made of shiny vinyl-like feathers.

I was further puzzled by other fashion viewers who exclaimed “Wow, c’etait bon!” And I was wondering if they had the intention of actually buying the clothes, or did they just say those things because they were at a fashion show?

That said, one designer has consistently shown great collections for the mass consumers, with interest cuts and a couple of new fabrics here and there. That honor goes to Andy The-Anh, who had a press cocktail show instead of runway (economic recession? He’s also only restricting himself to the showroom at LG Fashion Week in Toronto). Season after season, his body-conscious designs and glamorous satins always flatter women’s body (well, ok, the models’ in this case). I don’t have much critique of his show except that first 5 models of his short collection stood on a rotating podium for 10 mins, and that was a little too long for the media to stand. The caribbean blue colors were a deja vu of his 2008 fall collection, I think he could’ve picked something better, a color that we wouldn’t expect, like apple green.

Thus concludes my take on Day 1 at MFW. I apologize for the lack of photos, I’m on the verge of being rendered unconscious from sinus/flu medication, and besides, it’s tough to take pics of models on a runway with 10 heads blocking your view. Stay tuned for more on Twitter for Day 2 tomorrow!