PARLI-MODE: 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: