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Montreal Fashion Week
Lasting only three days, the fashion week featuring Quebec designers' spring-summer 2008 collections was too short, but rich all the same.
By Marie-Sandrine Auger, translated by Catalina Margulis
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Day 1
LOVE, DEMING
We started with the new kid on the block in Montreal, Vancouver designer Melissa Taylor. For her first show on Quebec soil, she presented simple, fresh creations. The master piece: the cotton mini summer dress, very simple, very short, with a country vibe. It's a collection tinged with vivid colours here and there, such as the aqua tunic and fuchsia leggings. There's romance in the details, such as flounce, buckles and long ribbons for cinching the waist. Also notable: The designer used ecological textiles such as jeans made of bamboo and soy, as well as organic cotton.
MUSE by CHRISTIAN CHENAIL
Muse plays the seduction card this summer. Choice pieces to render a woman sexy: the dress and the skirt. These pieces were presented in all forms, sometimes balloon, sometimes pencil or draped, or even flounce, sometimes long, sometimes very short. Christian Chenail worked with a large range of textiles, such as linen, jersey and cotton, all the while punctuating the neutral collection with vivid colours: apple green, fuchsia and pink. The bustier was also present, accentuating the female form to make her even more feminine and seductive.
ENVERS by YVES JEAN LACASSE
For this spring-summer 2008 collection, Yves Jean Lacasse transported us to a romantic universe with Maghrebian flavours. Inspired by a Moroccan myth, in which Isli and Tislit are two lovers with a tragic destiny, à la Romeo and Juliette, the Montreal designer presented romantic and ethnic creations. He revisited caftans and tunics, and westernized them, all the while giving a Moroccan touch to suits. Like a spice market straight out of a souk, the clothes were illuminated with warm, vivid colours. Brocade, lace, embroidery -- the textures were rich and the fabrics noble. Yves Jean Lacasse transformed his show into a benefit soirée helping to finance a humanitarian clinic, the Bonnes Oeuvres du Cœur (Good Works from the Heart), of Sainte-Justine hospital. It's a team of cardiologists who will go on a mission to Morocco to help children suffering from heart defects. '
HELMER
Last season, Helmer Joseph stole the hearts of the public, which surely must have added pressure for his second showing at Fashion Week. Yet he seduced us again in presenting a collection that was completely different from the season before, where he used different processes of patchwork and flower appliqués. For spring 2008, the creator offered something new: a line of jewellery and bags. On the clothing side, he was inspired by the 40s and 50s. He also played with volume, cuts and colour. Dresses were cinched, highlighting feminine curves, or else the designer accentuated volume to add voluptuousness. The result? Grace and sensuality.
Photos courtesy of Jimmy Hamelin/ SensationMode
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