About Vanessa Muri
Montreal City Editor Vanessa Muri has lived in London and Tokyo, but finds the charms of her hometown irresistible. From the latest scoops to the best deals in Montreal and everything in between, don't miss her weekly take on life in the fair city.
Montreal Fashion Week, Part Two
montreal musings Montreal
(Oct.21.09)
How to sum up two more days of Montreal Fashion Week? By limiting my coverage to the best shows and the most wearable collections. (And they don’t necessarily overlap.)
For the willing-and-ready-to-wear variety, we turn to rising star Ève Gravel. Part of the collection featured delicate frocks, denim chambray (not my go-to textile, but prettily done here), short shorts and a decidedly hippie vibe. The other half was all about rock: relaxed glam and layered looks with a bit of sparkle thrown in for good measure.
Then Soia & Kyo, one of my favourite labels, served up their usual, with fitted trenches and punchy jackets in a rainbow of colours. Nothing especially new here, but if it ain’t broke, why fix it?
.JPG)
.JPG)
Barilà presented a fun collection of wrap dresses, jumpsuits and pretty prints on heavy-browed models (including Canada’s Next Top Model Cycle 2 participant, Tia Ayrton-Hill) with a swing in their hips and a smile on their lips. I'm a huge fan of their vegan pleather and suede designs.
The shoes, however, were no match for the petal-strewn runway, with several girls nearly slipping. One fair nymph finally took hers off and skipped happily the rest of the way. A song by Tiga over the speakers added a dose of irony to the whole scene:
Just take off your shoes; just take off your shoes. These shoes stay on my feet!
.jpg)
.jpg)
Not in this case. And not during the sombre (and rumoured to be final) presentation of Helmer’s couture designs either. One girl fell at least four times before being helped off the runway by a kind staff member. (This time deadly skyscraper heels were the culprit.)
.jpg)
.jpg)
The clothes were his usual mix of elaborate detailing and patchwork designs; though nothing about the collection said spring/summer to me (his inspiration was Bluebeard and his seven wives), it was nevertheless breathtaking. This deep-V gown and strapless creation made my wish list.
If it was his last show, he'll be going out on a high note. (Perhaps that is why his new boutique is offering a stage on "Textile Graffiti"? More free time?)
Last, but certainly not least, was the heavily-anticipated show from Denis Gagnon. Continuing his love affair with the zipper from last season, Gagnon sent out dresses, jackets, bags and shoes (as part of design collaboration with Fullum & Holt and Aldo) featuring the fastener in one way or another. And what did it all add up to? .jpg)
.jpg)
To borrow an expression from Mitsou, sitting on my left: “Wow!”
(She must have said that four or five times during the show. I don’t blame her.)
Though I would never wear all of the pieces together, separately they'll add a strong, edgy look to your wardrobe.
His show caused such an ovation that they spontaneously staged another one, something that’s never been done before. There were simply too many people who didn’t get to see his creations the first time around.
.jpg)
To snag a piece of your favourite Montreal designer, don’t forget that La Braderie de mode starts tomorrow.
Photography: Marc Muri Photography, Jimmy Hamelin/Sensation Mode
Thought that was sweet? You'll enjoy:
• Montreal Fashion Week, Part One
• SweetLife’s coverage of Toronto Fashion Week