Just as IMG announced it was pulling out of Toronto Fashion Week, another Canadian fashion initiative broke ground. Founded by industry veteran Melanie Trevett, Digital Fashion Week is set to launch in Montreal in March 2017, with a networking kick-off event for fashion insiders scheduled for October.

London-based Trevett is a longtime supporter of Canadian fashion. She was one of the first to bring Canadian fashion to her UK clothing boutiques and also played a lead role in bringing Quebec designers to London in 2014 for an International Fashion Showcase meant to bring visibility to Canadian talent. With Digital Fashion Week, Trevett wants to switch up the fashion week model. “We want to give [designers] a fashion week they can control,” she explains.

 

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Melanie Trevett photographed by Candice Pantin 

Her fashion initiative has big supporters: Maybelline, Essie and Redken are already on board. The exact formula for how Digital Fashion Week will play out hasn’t been confirmed, but expect fashion shows that will be broadcast digitally, en events series open to the public and a see now/buy now component. The event will coincide with Montreal’s 375th anniversary, which is no coincidence. “Montreal is a city that has a vibrant arts scene, from its unique street art and tech innovations to its talented fashion designers. But outside of Canada, that wealth of artistry is not known,” says Trevett.