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