With Montreal Fashion Week behind us, a number of fresh and exciting motifs dominated this year’s designer festivities. Most apparent was the widespread application of blacks and whites, the evident comeback of past decades, and the contemporary ode to androgyny, mixing and matching his and hers on him and her.
Remember the swingin’ ’60s? Body Bag by Jude certainly reminded us. Montreal fashionistas were treated to a plethora of sun-and-surf style outfits, opening the show with a topless surfer boy carrying the iconic surfboard in hand. Followed by simple yet chic maxi dresses, the famous romper, floppy beach hats, and high wasted shorts were topped off with the staple retro sunglasses.
The ’60s were a time of rebellion and change, but the ’50s marked fashion history with bright, bold colours and patterns that immortalized the age. Christian Chenail and Annie 50 both brought back the feel of the decade with spunky polka dots and cinched waistlines, emphasizing the classic female silhouette that started it all.
Onward, holding true to the unisex theme dominating the show, Rachel Sin and Rush Couture proved that women indeed wear dress pants fashionably, if not better than their male counterparts! Nisse and Matiere Noire’s gentleman-inspired suits seemed to create a new women’s look for the season; classy yet sexy, professional, yet fun.
Taking the attention from the pantsuit variety shown from the other designers, Melissa Nepton presented us with a sensual version of the trend with a loose fitting sheer suit. Geometric prints and voluminous skirts were also pleasantly prominent in her collection.
As the androgynous theme of the show persists, Pedram gave us an extra push when his male and female models strutted down the runway in extreme similarities in both garments and footwear. Stunning the crowd with a mix of whites, rather square, and minimalistic attire. If fashion is said to be cyclical, this line proved it could be linear, too.
Now that summer in Montreal is sadly a thing of the past, Nadya Toto, Matiere Noire, and Rush Couture all reminded us about fashionable outerwear and ponchos we might actually look forward to wearing come frigid temperatures, keeping things new and exciting, whilst keeping it warm and wearable. However, Martin Lim’s fresh take on the outerwear displayed models dawning cape-inspired cuts, stealing the segment of the show.
Before dropping the final curtain, Simon Belanger and Jose Manuel St-Jacques of UNTTLD display an assortment of sheer panelled evening gowns and sultry rompers. Each piece more beautiful than the next, the duo closed the show by sprinting down the runway throwing glitter in the air as the audience roared in applause as another Montreal Fashion week successfully came to a close.
Photos by Jimmy Hamelin.
