EN PARLANT DU PARLI-MODE

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Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Monday, March 29, 2010

Ottawa Fashion Week

Ottawa Fashion Week wrapped up on March 27th hosting national and international designers.

See OFW pictures.

For more information, check out www.ottawafashionweek.ca.

Jean-François Daviau - MFW Co-President


When we were at Montreal Fashion Week (MFW) earlier this month, amongst the multiple interviews we had, one stood out, and was very special indeed.

It was with Jean-François Daviau, the co-president of Sensation mode, the organization that puts on Montreal Fashion Week as well as fabulous national and international shows such as Le festival de mode et design (Montreal) and Fashion Theatre (NYC, Berlin, Paris & Tokyo).

What prompted the interview was his interest in our quest to the parliament with our fashion cause coming up this April (stay tuned for more details).

We discussed various issues relating to the Canadian Designer industry and how the government can play a vital role in promoting it further and increasing its profit base and endorsing it as a national industry of sort.

He explained that it is important for the Feds to finance designer showings worldwide on a continuous basis and to expect results 2-3 years down the road. With the government, we can improve equipment purchases and deal out export quotas. He expressed how the industry is changing, technology is moving ahead with quality fabrics, durable and intelligent materials conceived for high intensity jobs such as firefighters or extreme sports.

In Montreal, being the 3rd largest fashion city in North America only after NYC and LA, "We have a lot of knowledge to meet the demand and expectations. Our value-added is our design and conception strengths", he explained.

Unfortunately, over the past few years, due to globalization and other factors, job decline in the fashion industry has been on the rise, with a cut from 75,000 to 25,000.

Recently, Sensation mode concluded agreements with Japan & Berlin (which is apparently a booming and boiling market hosting the Bread & Butter, bringing in more than hundreds of thousands of visitors worldwide) to partner up in various events such as the Fashion Theatre, Japan Fashion Week and more.

He feels that Montreal has enough design sources/companies that can take on a creative positioning in the worldly market, "We are very strong in fur, suits, etc. Every 1 over 3 suits in North America is made in Montreal, from DKNY, to Calvin Klein to Perry Ellis, and more. The structure is in place, you just have to say hard and loud."

Currently, to support students, there is a contest in place for Ryerson, Fanshaw and other fashion students to present their finales in Montreal.

Additionally, Montreal has a stronghold with NYC, in design and business standing, from John Varvatos, to Tommy Hilfiger to Liz Claiborne.

Unfortunately, there isn't much support for designers from the government, to ideally position them to gain exposure and business nationally and abroad.

In the summer of 2009, Le festival du mode et design sponsored the Trans Canada Runway, which was an opportunity for Nunavut Arctic College Fur Design and Production graduates to show off their designs and a few years ago had the Fashion & Design Festival in Toronto.

Mr.Daviau feels that Industry Canada in partnership with Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade should be providing help to Canadian designers with programs such as the ones he funds that can make them competitive on the national and international scene, encourage tourists to our designers. Providing more financing towards this can only strengthen the industry and branding.

Mr.Daviau also noted that in countries such as China and Japan, the "Made in Canada brand" is big and gaining in importance, "Chinese don't want something that is Made in China, they want something that is Made in Canada." This is something that can very well be played on by the government to capitalize on and increase the "Made in Canada" brand visibility by sponsoring the designers and exporting their business to the countries that are seeking their designs and concepts.

Additionally, he spoke of how important it would be to create "Designer Cartier," just like they have them in Paris, London, Milan, and just like when the first Greek, Jewish and Polish immigrants came and established themselves in one area, continued to practice, perfect and sell their trade bringing valuable and skilled experience to the Canadian garment industry and contributing to the fashion field we have in Montreal, producing exotic and high quality clothing.

* Image source: Jonathan Lorange-Millette

Khaki Gets a Softer Side for Spring 2010


Khaki Gets a Softer Side for Spring 2010

As a finishing touch to my last post, here is some more news about the military trend from Stylehog.com:

There is a huge military trend happening in fashion for Spring 2010 (which to me is a trend that never really dies, kind of like animal print, the 80's, pearls, they come and go but trendsetters and designers just jazz it up differently every time they come back).

Burberry, Chloe and Louis Vuitton showed off the softer side to khaki - more girl scout/less GI Jane look.

Ruffled trenches, khaki skirts, wrapped canvas sandals and canvas belts, Stylehog found your favorite khaki pieces at affordable prices.

* Image source: Stylehog.com

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Au nom de la guerre


Here is an article by Issandr El Amrani on Arabist.net

Nom de Guerre is a New York based fashion designer. For their Spring/Summer 2010 collection, they've decided to draw inspiration from the look of belligerents in Algeria's war of independence, both on the Algerian side and the French OAS militia that tried to squash the independence movement. The result: epaulets, khaki shirts, camouflage pants, and more. It's like extras from Battle of Algiers.

Here's how they pitch it:


For article reference and comments, please follow:
http://www.arabist.net/blog/2010/3/21/algerian-war-chic.html

Saturday, March 20, 2010

WIN tickets to LG Fashion Week

LGFW - Come to TFI to Win!

LG Canada
is hooking up Toronto Fashion Incubator with a pair of General Admission tickets to one person to Toronto's LG Fashion Week. These passes include entry into the Fashion Environment and access to all afternoon fashion shows from Monday March 29 to Thursday April 1, 2010.

Just be the first person on Monday, March 29th to join or renew your TFI membership in person at TFI, 285 Manitoba Drive, Exhibition Place. They're open from 9am to 5pm (closed 12 to 1 daily).

Check out the LG Fashion Week show schedule at
www.lgfashionweek.ca.
LG Fashion Week is a 19 plus event.

Sunday, March 14, 2010

MFW political & economic review


While at Montreal Fashion Week, we interviewed many designers including the co-president of Sensation Mode (the organization that puts on MFW).

We've summed up a few highlights from what most designers are looking for in terms of help from the government to gain more exposure and grounds on the NATIONAL and INTERNATIONAL markets...so Honourable Members of Parliament, be ready...because on April 21st, 2010, we'll be coming to Parliament Hill for a press conference (followed by a very fashionable cocktail) that will engage MP's and the media to listen and take action on the Canadian fashion market.

Details are to come, but until then, here are what some designers had to say:
  • There is no budget allocated to Fashion, as it falls in the middle between art and industry.
  • Canadian designers don't have the finances to get to different worldly markets.
  • It takes much funding to provide strong exposure and monetize it.
  • There are certain provincial and municipal governments that invest in major fashion events to promote tourism and business (such as Tourism Ontario, QC government, Ville de Montréal, etc.) in their respective area but designers are looking for federal help to widen its broad band and business ventures.
  • Population needs to get educated about Canadian Fashion designers (outside of certain parts of Montreal and Toronto, and maybe Vancouver, there isn't much knowledge about our designers), something like Project Runway is a start but something providing more of a longstanding opportunity and exposure, just like French radio stations were requested to play a percentage of French music on the air waves and local television stations were mandated to broadcast local content daily, the same can be done with the fashion industry in various aspects.
  • For example, a movie such as "Je m'appelle Denis Gagnon" (an intimate portrait of the designer's life), should be provided to major theatre outlets to receive maximum exposure and even be exported outside the country just as "Valentino: The Last Emperor" (film about the careers of haute couture designer Valentino) and "The September Issue" (a documentary chronicling Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour's life) graced the screens of various cinemas across the world.
  • To educate people and run campaigns (for example, something similar to the Buy America, Buy local, etc.), it takes a lot of funding.
  • People need to be taught to buy clothes made here.
  • There needs to be visibility on the street, dedicating certain areas for Canadian designer shops like they have in other cities.
  • Some of our designers complete decades of work without ever being acknowledged or recognized.
  • We have much talent in the country and strong design concepts but pride is lacked, it discourages designers and for new designers, they don't seem to have a Canadian role model to base themselves on as they are not getting the support they need.
  • There needs to be Ambassadors of fashion, going across the nation and to the outside wold to promote the business and exports of Canadian fashion designers.
  • Fashion weeks come and go and some barely make it on the television screens, IF LUCKY, some grace the front pages of certain newsprint whereas in Paris, NYC, Milan, the media dedicates much to such expos.
  • Montreal Fashion Week, LG Fashion Week, Vancouver Fashion Weeks are all great avenues for Canadian designers to show in and expose themselves but there needs to be more of it and there needs to be more international focus on them as well.
  • At international trade shows, the government needs to look at having a contingent of Canadian fashion designers to promote, expose and provide booking and selling opportunities there as part of Canadian Branding (similar to what is done in for the Olympics where at every games there is a "Canada House").
  • International markets such as the Far and Middle East take a lot of interest in Canadian Brands, why not play on that.
  • Exchange of business between Canada and other countries, involve embassies to kick it off.
This is a summary of what was expressed during these interviews.

Here is a video by of designer Ralph Leroy's collection presented at MFW a year ago, for your pure enjoyment:


Rania Abdulla

Saturday, March 13, 2010

Dimitri Chris & Philip Sparks - Menswear at MFW

Dimitri Chris
I first came across Dimitri Chris at MFW in October 2008 when he presented the Spring/Summer 2009 Urimij collection. I immediately embraced his tailoring and unique menswear, versatile, classy, urban yet mature.
When I see his collection, I picture that squared-jaw gentleman, smells like Fahrenheit by Christian Dior, powerful, authoritarian but with a wandering eye...watch out girls if you don't want to get your hearts broken.
His 2010-2011 Fall/Winter collection: Master of the foxhounds calls for a reinvention of the traditional venery with a perfect symbiosis between the art of hunting and the art of tailoring. Looking at his garments, I am taken back to the Edwardian days, hats, vests, redingotes, suit jackets. Dimitri integrates lots of detailing in his designs with hidden buttons, integrated scarves, reversible coats and transformable knitwear.

View all of Dimitri Chris' MFW runway shots and video and check out his website for more information.

Philip Sparks

Philip Sparks is all about traditional tailoring twisted to create nostalgic but modern menswear. His Fall/Winter 2010-2011 Collection was inspired by Herman Melville’s Moby Dick. It incorporates nautical details, a dark colour palette and layers of hearty wool Melton, tweed suiting, duck canvas and double knit jersey. Full-bodied outerwear with quilted lining is refined with piped edges, bone buttons and suede accents while slim trousers and long johns balance the season’s silhouette.

I saw peacoats, lots of accessorizing with boots, watches, hats, gloves. Sparks made use of 3-piece suits, plaid shirts and had somewhat of a utilitarian feel to his garments. It was clean, structured lines with a bit of naïveté added to the mix.

View all of Philip Sparks MFW cocktail show shots and check out his website for more information.

Rania Abdulla

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Montreal Fashion Week

MONTREAL FASHION WEEK

SPEECH FROM THE THRONE

Montreal Fashion and the Throne Speech kicked off this week. We send our correspondents.

The highlights are the show from Envers, which was profound, spiritual and one of the most breathtaking shows in recent history, with references to central Asia, India, etc.

Marie St. Pierre was very starwars-esque. The general trend was black, grey, texture, subtle multi-cultural references and skinny long black pants. Historic European references were common for menswear.

The budget promised innovation. There is very little support of designers, except for tax credit for textiles. They are not promoted internationally nor even locally for trade shows. With our interview with Marie St. Pierre, she said she was in the business for over two decades and never had a spread in a Canadian magazine, and she is one of Canada's top designers. DSquared exhibited in Vancouver, and never made it in Canada until they left!

The budget promised innovation, to help the shipping industry and help small businesses export abroad, though no concrete measures to help the fashion industry that creates manufacturing jobs in Canada


-Maria Al-Masani