When I first started attending Montreal Fashion Week in 2008, the landscape of personalities on the floors at Marché Bonsecours was drastically different. The crowd was mostly made up of older middle aged women, seasoned veterans of the fashion industry who have been in the local game longer than I’ve been alive at the time. I was one of the few people who was in their 20s and I felt oddly out of place in the realm of big shot editors, buyers and journalists.

And – none of them could dress.

At least when you compare them to the crowds that attend Montreal Fashion Week now. In 2011, the crowd has gotten drastically younger, much more fashionable, and the energy of the venue was no longer dowdy and dated but vibrant and alive. I’m sure the veterans are floating somewhere, but in the sea of tights, high heeled shoes and nerd glasses, they’re pretty much  nowhere to be seen.

Also, Montreal Fashion Week has become much more crowded than usual, by opening the flood gates to fashion bloggers, it was actually relatively easy to get into shows you didn’t register for, or to even request a reservation. But I still found issue in the seating arrangements during every show, depending on the PR company that you were dealing with, most of them gave seating tickets randomly, only making sure that fashion magazine editors, journalists and celebrities were seated in the front row. Fashion bloggers and the rest of the “nobodies” were randomly given seats or standing tickets. What was the point of registering? I wish they actually had a seating strategy, sometimes I would find myself in the very last row or even standing up while others had the benefit of sitting 3rd row (the best seats in my opinion) when they weren’t even media people to begin with.

The unfair playground during fashion shows happens often, and feathers are ruffled and egos bruised. It’s part of the game. At Montreal Fashion Week, it’s still a bit unexpected as it’s still a relatively small week compared to others, I would understand more if it were New York and Paris where competition for a seat or even an invitation is much more fierce, you’d be lucky to even be standing at a popular designer’s show.

I read a fashion week survival guide that it pays to be aggressive because you have no choice but to be aggressive. If you’re meek and sweet, like I am, you’ll never get front row seats or wait in line. If you act like you’re important, others might think you’re important, at least perhaps in New York City. Montreal still has that friendly camaraderie vibe, that was lacking during my experience at NYFW, so it hasn’t gotten to cat fight level yet, but I’m pretty sure it’ll get there eventually.

But seating dilemma aside, the shows I’ve been to this season has improved drastically in terms of quality of the collections presented. But then again, I’ve come to pick and choose which shows I want to see. I’ve decidedly skipped some of the more hyped up designers or regulars who have always shown, mainly because I’ve seen enough that I haven’t been that impressed. Overall, I was quite pleased with collections I’ve seen, I think designers nowadays are really pushing the envelope to still remain creative while offering more commercially accessible looks.

Models
It was also refreshing to see a whole new crop of models, since 2006 I’ve been seeing the same faces on the runaway and I was frankly getting tired of seeing the same women every season. Many of them had the terrible habit of posing ridiculously in front of the camera. This season’s crop of models were professional and walked very nicely, I applaud.

Photographers
Well, Montreal isn’t really the Mecca of fashion photographers, so it would explain why most runway shots are badly done. Most photographers are probably not used to shooting a moving target down the runway, hence the inconsistent photos I see in the galleries. Sometimes they’re full length, other times, they’re only a close up of the face, other times, it has another model in the shot, it’s terrible. If I compare to the likes of Style.com, their runway photos are always the same, full length walking down the runway. Even if the model is farther or closer to the photographer, the model always appears in same height and length. Professional photographer who make a living out of their shots, need to practice more in shooting better runway photos. It’s not really the time to make arty photos.

Venue
Marché Bonsecours has been a satisfactory venue to handle smaller crowds, but Thursday night’s crowd after the Telio show was absolutely chaotic. I think Sensation Mode should start looking for a bigger venue to show, or have it split into a second venue to alleviate the congestion of the crowds, especially considering that the Cocktail lounge is right next to the runway venue simply makes it too tight for comfort.

I would also like to see a second organizing committee that will offer to advertise off-site shows. As I’ve learned, labels who can’t afford the Marché Bonsecours venue, still has to pay advertising space to announce an off-site show. It would open up much more variety and can offer a longer week of fashion shows. Just a thought.

As Montreal Fashion Week closes, New York Fashion Week has already kicked off. It’ll be a month long showing of new fashions into the Fall season, so stay tuned on more posts!

Going into year two in the era of Denis Gagnon’s comeback, anticipation was running high. The past 3 collections he has presented had landed him as the Golden Boy of the Montreal Fashion scene.

For fall 2011 though, he offered a surprising contrast from previous collections by splitting personalities of past and future. Quite frankly, I’m a little wary of what the future of Denis Gagnon will look like.

The first half of the show was typical of his previous works in black leathers interspersed with color highlights. He played with volume and shapes for jackets, A-line skirts, with a nice use of fur. He made special collaborations again with Aldo for shoes and Dandi Maestre’s jewelry collection. There large leather clutches and skin tight, leather elbow gloves, it was a signature first half.

The second half of the show bewildered all previous notion of the monochromatic universe, and into the wild and crazy world of colors. As a foray into color, I had a hard time digesting the looks he was presenting. Hot pink tights with large crochet dresses and fur hems – a call back to the boudoir ensemble, were the orders of the tomorrow. But the confections of colors were unconvincing, the fabrics seemed to have been pushed away as a second thought. This half reminded me of what Yso had done the previous season with his parade of colors, and it’s not surprising – he’s Denis Gagnon’s stylist.

At the finale, the designer himself walked out with lips painted red and wearing a hand crocheted snood, making him look like a nun. Make what you will of it.

After the show, the crowd was buzzing, but most had mixed feelings. Success in pleasing the crowd does have its limits.

Fall 2011 looks to be a covered up season for Barilà, with turtle neck sweaters, fur hats and stoles, and cloche hats galore in plums, turquoise and soft greys. There were a few moments of plaid in orange and black, and with the slender and long figures, made think of Americana in the 1920s with a dash of Marc Jacobs’ obi sash belts of Spring 2009, and had a Ralph Lauren feeling. Albeit, Barilà’s collection is entirely much more subdued, playing mostly with solid colors than prints, which I think dampened the whole experience.

By some accounts, Spring 2010 was decidedly much more cheerful and color and was apparently sorely missed in the Fall collection this season. Not to mention that the models had a difficult time wearing the shoes and about half a dozen have tripped over their stiletto heels and a couple even decided to remove the shoes altogether.

In a retrospective, this was possibly the safest collection one could present on the runway, nothing too crazy, nothing too extravagant, individual pieces that could be sold on the sales floor for practical times during the cold winter months. But the downfall of a safe collection is the lack of creative style that would distinct itself from competing brands offering clothes in the same bracket for a much cheaper price. Barilà needs to strengthen its brand presence or else lose itself in the shuffle.

Samuel Dong has been known more so for his work at the CIMM in Montreal, creating commercial collections in womenswear rather than high end collections. In the past, I’ve seen mini collections that were associated with CIMM and had always appreciated his commercial touch. Recently he has been breaking out on his own, and this fall’s collection seems to be channeling some well-known designers.

Right from the start, we are treated to a club mix of “Un Bel Di Vedremo”, the famous song sung in the equally famous opera, Madame Butterfly, and when the first model walked out with dramatic fusion of Chinese Opera meets Japanese Kabuki makeup, I knew exactly where this collection was going. It immediately conjured up a post I did 2 years ago about the Dior Spring/Summer Haute Couture show in 2007. John Galliano had explained that he was inspired by the sad story of Cho Cho-san in Madame Butterfly and designed the entire collection revolving around Japanese costumes. The result was a stunningly theatrical collection, complete with dramatic eyemakeup and striking color palettes that Galliano is known for.

For Samuel Dong, the colors were equally striking, and the models were tall and slender with cinched waists and voluminous bubble skirts. Yes, there was Dior written all over the collection, and throwing in an Alexander McQueen-esque Victorian ruffled coat in red, or an animal printed silk shift dress – which reminded me of Christopher Kane’s baboon-printed dresses for some reason, and a touch of Roberto Cavalli with leopard print tights and shiny coats. It was such a shame that Samuel didn’t have an army of couterieres to add details to his already beautifully structured clothes, it was definitely a winner for the night. It’s odd to say, but the clothes had no “asian flavor” so to speak, so it didn’t entirely pay homage to Madame Butterfly.

Like much of Galliano’s work however, I find it difficult to place this collection on the sales floor, much like it would be rare to find Dior clothing in most retail stores. There a lot of pieces that look great on the runway, but sadly sometimes doesn’t translate well into commercial standards. Still, it’s not to say that the entire collection is completely unsellable, there are a few pieces that could work well into one’s wardrobe. But this collection has indeed come to a pleasant surprise, surpassing my expectations and seeing that there is hopeful potential in Samuel’s work to keep channeling a simmering talent for haute couture looks.

When a fashion show is curated by TrusstClub, trust that you will not be experiencing the show like anything you’ve seen before.

True to form, Post-Vernissage (Ying Gao and Karl Latraverse) have put together an unusual format to showcase their collection for Fall 2011. In fact, the word “collection” is a bit of an understatement, it was more about showing the versatility of a single garment and turning it into a boatload of possibilities. I can see how this concept rings in tune with what Rad Hourani has done previously with his singular outfit that could transform into 10 different looks.

The format of the show was more live art installation than fashion show, where models in pairs were simultaneously changing the way they would wear a caged garment (as a top, a skirt, a bag, a cape, etc). Other models had chairs to sit on which directly faced the audience and some were even using cameras to take pictures. It was a bit difficult to capture the concept in photos and videos, but nonetheless, the entire mood was completely different and had that “avant-garde” feeling that TrusstClub seems to imbue with every project they undertake. Think New Yorks’ Milk Studios’ energy transpired into this single show.

While fascinating to experience for the brief 5-7 mins we had, the versatility of the garments made me think about sustainability for some reason. As I saw Frederic Metz, UQAM’s Design Dean, sitting in the crowds in previous shows, I saw some meaning about being a “true designer.” Designing in the sense that it facilitates the function of a normal product. For example, a shoulder bag was conceived hundreds of years ago to free the hands from a handbag. Such a simple design solution to simply elongate the handles seems sort of silly not to think of it today, but imagine a time where that didn’t exist. Fast forward to Post-Vernissage’s showcase of the caged garment worn in several ways. Isn’t that a design solution? To find multiple functions out of a single item holds true to sustainability, much like the tote bag is the emblem of the eco-friendly movement. I think designers should find ways to make their garments multipurpose, I think Complex Geometries is a great example of that genre. Definitely some food for thought.

Nadya Toto has been around the fashion scene for years and has split her time showing in both Montreal and Toronto Fashion Weeks. This season, I attended my very first show and wasn’t quite sure what to anticipate since I wasn’t all that familiar with the Nadya Toto brand or style.

Even after seeing this collection for the first time, it’s a bit difficult to describe her style as she follows some well-established use of patterns and textures, with a good eye on detail. For fall, Nadya has chosen to stick with a mostly monochromatic palette, with the blacks revealing themselves in textures of lace, ruffles, asymmetrical skirts, and glittery combinations. In the whites, as pure and as soft as snow, cozy knit wears in layers will make you want to bury your face in them and pray that they are made of cashmere. Anything less in quality would be severely disappointing. Most of the looks were perfect for the holiday season of 2011, looking chic and romantic while keeping warm and cozy.

Some numbers were a little questionable or perhaps, I simply think as a designer, they were just fun to make and/or look great on the runway not in real life. Such as the skirts and tops with multiple  flowers appliqués, I have never seen that trend caught on with the public, yet I’ve seen a lot of designers in Montreal who love to work that into their skirts and dresses.

Nadya Toto has looks that work and pretty to look at, but I’m not entirely sold on the collection to actually go out and buy it immediately. It’s a collection that needs to be thought over before purchasing.

Rudsak is a local brand known for its sophisticated leather outerwear collection along with leather accessories. From the promotional ads for its sister collection, Rud by Rudsak, I was actually anticipating a type of RTW  line but it wasn’t the case.

In fact, Rud seems to be competing more on Mackage‘s level of trendy outerwear, with form fitting bubbly down coats and double breasted wool coats in typical Rudsak chocolate brown and occasional khaki green and camel. There were also equally appealing and commercial friendly coats for men that won’t have them hiding in shame.

The original Rudsak coats are mostly tailored for an older crowd with sleek lines, Rud is geared more towards the 20-somethings looking to combine style during the cold wintery months. Whether they’re able to keep warm or not is up for debate. With Canada Goose, used by professionals who work in the arctics, taking the city by storm this winter due to their resilient weather proof coats, at a hefty price tag of $600-700, it would be difficult to justify if Rud by Rudsak would stand up to the challenge of true down coating function. Otherwise, if shoppers are looking for something nice to wear, by all means, Rud does the job.

After spending a good night’s rest of last night’s late presentation of Tendances (trends) by Montreal stylist Yso, I was able to digest his message overnight.

As the name suggests, Yso’s presentation of the trends for next spring has been what a few designers have been toying around with elsewhere in the world. Well, I should rather say a trend, as the pieces picked for this show only had one thing in common: bold colors. Yso made use of other Montreal based brands that were present in Le Showroom this week such as Duy, House of Groves and Blank. The bold colors for spring were evident in shows like Proenza Schouler in New York and Prada in Milan.

The looks themselves, though, were  in contrast with the vivacious colors, they were quite plain save for a few pieces that were beautiful or interesting to look at as they flowed down the runway. What the men wore felt like some sort of rehash of the 80s with apricot pants and t-shirts with bold lettering, do we really want our men to go back to the era?

There were some interesting designs by Duy, with his feminine smartly cut dresses with a deep V in the back, I have vaguely heard about him, but he seems to be following well in the footsteps of his Viet predecessor Andy The-Anh.

It made me wonder though if these looks truly appealed to the public, attendees (media and public alike) had to pay for their tickets to see the show. One had to wonder if this was truly a direction the public would veer into the next season? I think they were expecting more of a summary of past collections this week, but often, Montreal designers don’t always offer collections in tune with the world trends. This show at least stated loudly one colorful trend that should be on everyone’s radar by spring.

Kirk Pickersgill and Stephen Wong have already established their luxury womenswear line, Greta Constantine, in Toronto, where they’ve become fan favorites. The Ezra Constantine line is the menswear counterpart, with a much more street and casual look.

For the first time ever, I actually believe this line to be a credible menswear line where men in their late teens to their 20s will find this collection appealing. I found Canadian designers struggling a lot in the men’s department, especially when they aim for the college aged demographic. The results are often disappointing, bringing subpar designs that notch lower than the typical sportswear hoodies and loose jeans.

That’s why I was surprised to see Ezra Constantine finally answering the menswear line with a good formula, different enough to say that these were no ordinary street styles. Each piece stood well to be styled with other pieces from a guy’s wardrobe. A guy who may be looking to experiment with fashion without looking like he’s trying too hard. It actually felt a little avant-garde. But the message was clear, Ezra Constantine knows where it stands and how it stands. My hat’s to Pickersgill and Wong.

I have to apologize for the blurry pics, it was extremely difficult to photograph due to the harsh spotlight. But I’m sure you get the idea with the videos.

Wesley Badanjak’s line, Lovas, was one of those collections that wasn’t too crazy in ideas, but offered an entirely commercial friendly-line. In fact, what was surprising of this collection was that it was on trend with the bold near neon colors that we started to see in New York and in full scale in Milan. It was a pretty glittery collection and paired together with clubby beats, the whole feeling of the mood was very BCBG. The clothes were young and flirty.

Badanjak has been under the tutelage of David Dixon, and what I’ve noticed of both collections were how extremely crisp some pieces were. I didn’t particularly feel that the collection was cheap unlike some runway shows I’ve seen, but at the same time, I found it perhaps too déjà vu. There seems to be a note floating around Montreal Fashion Week that there needs to be some office tailored dresses with every collection. I find this a bit odd. While variety is good, it’d be nice to see a switch away from the typical suited look and opt going for a radical departure instead. I see this collection to be quite sellable to the younger crowds looking for a cute dress. Though this collection was not particularly my cup of tea.

I was initially placed in the third row, the venue filled up really slowly and I was able to be bumped to the front row. I was able to record a good bit of the first couple of minutes and some following photos. I have to apologize for the jittery zoom ins and outs, I’m still trying to figure out how to keep a steady finger on the trigger.

Watch two exclusive clips of the Lovas show below (and pictures to follow!)