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!

The Spring edition contains the usual suspects – Marie Saint Pierre, Denis Gagnon, Christian Chenail, etc – and a handful of newcomers to the show: Claude Bouchard, Dimitri Chris, Micalla,  and Annie 50.

The highly successful Le Showroom, a sort of trunk show, will be showcasing other local designers’ collections since many are not choosing to run on the catwalk. Curiously, the CIMM is MIA in this edition, where usually the more commercial designers like Simon Chang would showcase the more wearable collections to the public. I would’ve thought they had finally made some sort of business connection with MFW, but I guess that has dissolved?

One has to wonder though how the recession has affected local Canadian fashion industries. More and more companies are outsourcing their workload to Asia, with a very select few companies who still produce in Canada (to my knowledge Tristan and Le Chateau are still hanging in there). The sole and only press conference that could possibly address this issue will be on Tuesday, Oct 15th, the inaugural opening day of Montreal Fashion Week SS10, but I’m afraid it’s nothing more talking fluff to reassure designers.

I do certainly believe that a fashion conference in Montreal is severely lacking in addressing these important business issues. And perhaps it would be to the local designers’ benefit if the industry would stop trying to brush it off by replacing it with more talks about pushing creativity, which frankly is not necessary. Think of all the past talents that have appeared and disappeared under the radar: Yso, Renata Morales, Rush Couture, Nadya Toto, Marisa Minicucci, Philippe Dubuc, and for a time Denis Gagnon. Top tier talents like Dubuc and Minicucci are struggling to keep afloat, or in Minicucci’s case, have to rethink their business strategy altogether. Montreal also has to contend with Toronto, which often has some of our best talents migrating to show such as Rudsak, Andy, Aqua di Lara, Travis Taddeo, and Morales, and our cream of the crops are showcasing in Paris or New York, like Rad Hourani and Mackage. It seems that Montreal is too small for designers who are aiming higher.

If Montreal is supposed to be so axed on promoting local talent and encouraging to buy local, they will certainly need to rethink their strategies to influence shoppers. Because the fast fashion giants down on Ste-Catherine are eating up the local industry’s sales with cheap “chic” like Forever 21, H&M, and Zara. While the talents of the likes of CIMM is totally capable of wowing us with commercial and sometimes innovative garments, yet they are nowhere to be found this season.

Like I’ve said before, Montreal has great potential as a fashion hub, but lacks the direction and support it needs to establish itself as true player among fashion capitals.

Image credits: Jimmy Hamelin, Montreal Fashion Week

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!

Be forewarned that fashion shows have a tendency to start late. Show up early at your own risk!

Karv Fashion Show @ Club 1234
March 7th, 2008 at 10PM
Tickets are available (10$) price at the door will be (15$).
For Tickets & Table Reservations Call : 707-3333
Cause: Promotional
Click here for the Facebook Event

CASA Cares Fashion Show @ Olympia Theatre
March 13th, 2008 at 8:30PM
Tickets are $25 and can be purchased at 1500 de Maisonneuve Blvd. W., Room GM 218-4.
Cause: Donation to the Montreal Children’s Hospital Foundation
Designers: Dom Rebel, Aqua di Lara, Bodybag by Judith Desjardins, Dinh Bà and more.

Ethni-cité fashion-show & Party @ Time Supper Club
March 13th, 2008 at 11:30PM
Pre-sale tickets are $15. Price at the door will be $20.
Cause: Promotion of cultural diversity among local and international students
Click here for the Facebook Event

The Official “WALK” Fashion Show @ House Nightclub
March 22nd, 2008 at 8:30PM
Tickets are $40. Groups of 10 or more get a $10 discount per person.
Contact Megan Clark: thats.crazy.babyyy@hotmail.com
Tel: (514) 525-8567
Cause: Donations for the Montreal Children’s Hospital Foundation
Click here for the Facebook Event

Armure Urbaine @ Marche Bonsecours for Montreal Fashion Week
March 27th, 2008 at 9:30PM
Tickets are $30. Can be purchased at Admission.com.
Cause: Donations for YWCA.
Designers: Body Bag by Jude, Dinh Bà, Denis Gagnon, Envers by Yves Jean-Lacasse, Helmer, Collection Iris, Marie Saint Pierre, Muse by Christian Chenail, M Siamo, Mylene B.

Path of Destruction Fashion Show – Location TBD
April 5th, 2008 – Time TBD
Tickets are $25. Price at the door will be $30.
Cause: Promotional, free stuff
Click here for the Facebook Event

OR you can just join the Montreal Fashion Group on Facebook and make your life easier.

And as a final announcement, which isn’t fashion show related, I found out that Marie Saint Pierre will be opening a new boutique at the Rockland Centre soon.

People are always curious to know what it feels like to attend fashion shows during Fashion Week. As many of you know, Fashion Week is reserved for designers, buyers, VIP clients like the rich and famous, and of course the media blitz of cameras, editors, reporters and journalists. It’s a huge media event and every one wants in on the action of the glitz and glamour.

A long time dream of mine was to attend such a coveted event, and it has come true just last fall. I will share with you a brief scoop of my first experience at Montreal Fashion Week last fall as a writer for Gloss. This will probably dispel a lot of misconceptions of what Fashion Week really is.

Media Coverage
Working for a magazine, newspaper or television requires media accreditation, which means getting a media pass to attend Fashion Week. There are forms to fill out and background checks are done to make sure that the people applying to be media are legitimate. Because most collections are not ready for public distribution and they want to reduce the risk of knock offs taking place before they’re able to deliver the goods. This is why Fashion Weeks are held 6 months prior to the actual season to give time for manufacturers to produce the collections for retail, as well as giving magazines time to spruce up their Fall or Spring issues.

Once you get your pass, you’re bombarded with folders containing press releases from each designer, inauguration meetings, cocktail hours, and a lot of schmoozing. Fashion Week isn’t held in one single venue specifically, there were many off site events going on during the week, some held their own fashion shows in their private boutiques, and there were a lot of after parties in the hippest clubs.

Not So Fun
The most unglamorous part of attending Fashion Week is the waiting. For Montreal, the fashion shows are surprisingly brief, approximately 20mins or less each, and we had to wait at least an hour before the next show. Attending 4-5 shows a day is actually pretty exhausting and you end up feeling like being huddled around like cattle to take your seat inside the showroom. There are long lineups, and if you don’t know anybody there, it’s pretty boring.

Champagne at 11AM and Freebies
To compensate, the industry is cajoled in getting free food, free drinks, free items to make the experience more enjoyable. In my case, our people were showered with little cocktail bottles of tequila or flutes of champagne, we were served hors d’oeuvres of sushi speared with a pipette filled with liquid wasabi, and got a free mouse pad from P&G Beaute. Some fashion shows offered their front row seaters goodie bags containing all kinds of things from scarves, beer, organic soap, chocolates and more. I attended an opening party for E.R.A. Vintagewear and came home with a bag full of Pantene hair products and makeup.

Know Your Place
Seats are assigned according to how important you are. If you were working for the bigger magazines and newspapers, you get to sit in the front row. In my case, a peculiar thing happened. Since many of the designers during Montreal Fashion Week were new or less popular, not all of the front row seats were taken, so some of us sitting one or two rows back were bumped up to the front row. A bonus! But if you were attending of the bigger shows like Marie Saint Pierre, you’d be lucky if you even had a chair to sit in!

Watching the shows themselves is such an exciting thing to experience. But like many other media people, virtually everyone had a pen and notepad on their laps, scribbling furiously what they were seeing. It’s hard to describe in so few words an entire collection, let alone remember every single outfit. And at the end of every show, you sort of wonder what the big hooplah is about for experiencing excitement for a mere 20 mins.

Overall, attending Fashion Week is surprisingly short fused. You get your high for just a little bit and then have to deal with the superficial socializing the rest of the time, albeit eating good food and getting goodies. A good lesson to learn is to pick and choose which shows you want to attend. If Montreal Fashion Week grows over the years, it would be impossible to attend every single show, hence why the big designers are always the most coveted shows. It’s an unforgettable experience and one can only hope to graduate to the big leagues one day, just to see what it’s like

Which puts into question as to where Montreal fashion is going business wise. Montreal Fashion Week is coming next month, I really wonder who the buyers are and where they come from. Last fall I attended Fashion Week on behalf of GLOSS, and was surprised that that there were only about a dozen notable designers showing for a total of a mere 3 days. Even our most coveted designer, Andy The-Anh, showcased his collection in Toronto’s L’Oreal Fashion Week in hopes to catch a larger audience. It would appear that the Montreal market hasn’t attracted enough buyers (international and local) to come to our fashion week despite a recent multimillion dollar investment from the Quebec Government.

Ralph Lauren Fall 2008. Simple and could definitely sell.

Muse by Christian Chenail Fall 2007. Could also sell, but are they selling?

 

I made a round yesterday to Ogilvy‘s and only saw Marie Saint Pierre’s name as the only local designer on the store’s 2nd floor. Holt Renfrew did have Rad Hourani’s collection, but where are the M Siamo’s, Philippe Dubuc’s and Andy The-Anh’s in these stores? More over, there are so many specialized boutiques that it’s hard to pinpoint which stores carry which lines, making shopping even harder especially for smaller brands. Not to mention that local designers have to compete with many European imports like Mango, Zara, H&M, and Mexx to big brand designer names like Chanel, Dior and Gucci in the high end sector. Let’s not forget that even our own proud canadian sports label Roots has been shoved aside to make way to American Eagle Outfitters downtown.

Having a good business model is essential to survive in the industry, so far it’s hard to think of one Canadian label in particular which has successfully incorporated themselves into international waters on a grand scale. But unlike Europeans and Americans, Montreal fashion designers currently aren’t attractive enough for financial honchos to invest into their brands. Though $82 million is a generous amount from the Quebec Government, it’s peanuts when the likes of other designers get the same amount for a SINGLE brand in a SINGLE year. It’s not enough to be a designer, it’s now essential to have a working business model. If Canada, even more so Montreal, wants to compete with the big guns they will have to find a way to boost their visibility on a grand scale and be aggressive. We’re being much too docile to newcomers, praising and coddling them through magazines isn’t enough, they need to be able to sell their clothes to buyers and establish some loyalty amongst their shoppers.

Image credits: Style.com, Muse Christian Chenail