I know very little about the Fashion & Design Festival, other than it’s based in Montreal, which by default makes it a fabulously fashionable affair. Particularly this year, when one of my favourite Canadian designers, Travis Taddeo, has been picked to present his work free of charge during the Fashion & Design Festival’s “Collections” segment.
Taddeo isn’t alone in the honour as international fashion influencer, Garance Doré, has selected five more designers to present Spring 2015 collections as part of the FDF Collections. Together they are Doré’s editorial choice, but solo they are Eve Gravel, Mylène B, Niapsou Design, UNTTLD and Ying Gao. Oh Montreal, you magnificent animal, you.
Image via Fashion & Design Festival
These successful six will present from August 18 to 19, at the Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal, where the event will take the form of a grand collective runway show. As Commissioner for FDF Collections, Doré will meet the designers to share her observations and discuss the challenges surrounding the penetration of international markets — an ongoing problem for many local designers that’s been cyclically charted in Canadian media.
“For me, what is important is a unique design and a desire to communicate – which, today, is a key quality for a fashion designer,” said Doré in a press statement. “These qualities were important in how I made my selections!”
As for the rest of the festival, expect to see dozens of local and international fashion labels, showcased in daily outdoor fashion shows held at Place des Festivals and running August 20 to August 23. You could even bump into Nathalie Rykiel, the queen of knits from legendary fashion house Sonia Rykiel, who will be participating as honorary president of the event. There’s also a “Stiletto Race,” which to me sounds like a rolled ankle waiting to happen, but you can get all the details by clicking here.
