The grandiose Arsenal space will transform once more into a glittery palace of rad rags for this year’s Fall/Winter edition of Montreal Fashion Week, happening from February 4 to 7, 2013. In addition to the runway shows, Montreal Fashion Week mixes things up with all sorts of fashion inspired activities: conferences, exhibits, artistic performances, and a new concept that marries fashion with cinema called the Fashion Premiere. This series of 21 fashion films will be presented throughout the event at the headquarters, and will include a tribute to internationally known homegrown designer Rad Hourani, directed by Parisian filmmaker Jean Du Sartel.

The spotlight on local talent will shine particularly bright during a few special events, including a presentation of the creations of 25 finalists for Canada’s Breakthrough Designers 2013 contest, which collects entries from 22 fashion design schools across Canada, on Thursday, February 7 at 7:30 in the main space. Also, right after, Target is putting on a fashion show featuring the collections of five finalists from its Emerging Designer Award, at 9 pm. Start your night off with a bang with the Harricana par Mariouche show at 5:30 pm and get to know one of Quebec’s most crafty designers.

Other shows to keep an eye out for to meet the next generation of Montreal creators are Pedram Karimi (a lover of geometric sharpness and minimalist construction) at 7:30 on February 4, Matière Noire  (a playful label that deconstructs sportswear) at 5:30 pm on February 6, and Coklush (a duo of leather workers who make tactile, functional wear and accessories) at 7:30 pm on February 6.

Meanwhile, off-site at McCord Museum, there are two free activities dedicated to the history of fashion: on February 2, the film Bill Cunningham New York, all about the octogenarian New York Times photographer, will screen at 11 am, 1 pm and 3 pm. Then on February 6 at 6 pm there’s a cocktail marking the launch of the book
 Giorgio Armani: Empire of the Senses, by Concordia University professor John Potvin. Not to be missed.

Tickets to Montreal Fashion Week are on sale here and spots are limited. Those who will not be able to get to the Arsenal can watch all of the shows live on the Montreal Fashion Week website thanks to Parce Que Films, the official video partner.

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THE DETAILS

Montreal Fashion Week SS13, February 4-7, 2013

Arsenal, 2020 William, (514) 876-1499

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Harricana par Mariouche, named after its creator Mariouche Gagné, is a fashion house unlike others because nearly everything Gagné makes is fashioned out of recycled fur.

“A real fur coat has a shelf life of 100 years, whereas we don’t even know how long it takes a faux fur coat to disintegrate once it’s been discarded, because plastic hasn’t been around long enough for us to know. Which one do you think is worse for the planet?” Gagné’s question is a pointed one, and one even members of PETA should mull over. For Gagné, this is the basis of a philosophy she’s developed throughout her career, that blends a love of Native culture, natural materials and high-end fashion.

After a first immersion into fashion in Paris, where as the winner of a contest created by Cartier and Air France she got to live and work a stint in the City of Lights, Gagné wanted to study at the Domus Academy in Milan. The only problem? The tuition cost $25,000. That’s when her mom came across another contest that asked budding designers to work with fur. “I was really outdoorsy, so I decided to create skiwear with fur inside, using my mum’s two old fur coats, and I won the contest. I was able to do my master’s degree at Domus. When I came back to Montreal at 21 I kept working with recycled fur, and presented my pieces to Simon’s and right away got orders. That was the beginning!”

Today, in addition to having her line in stores like Simon’s and Ogilvy’s and working in tangent with some of the world’s biggest brands, including a partnership with Rossignol next year, Gagné has her flagship store in an impressive 100-year-old bank building on the corner of Atwater and Saint-Antoine.

“I moved here in 2002, just over 10 years ago. The whole collection is here, as well as all the services we offer – transforming, cleaning and restoring recycled fur and wedding dresses. I’ve got amazing contact with the customers here – I get young, old, men, women visitors, so I can go bit more crazy and do one-of-a-kind pieces. If you look at the store there are no two pieces that are exactly the same.”

The most impressive section of the building, other than the retail, is the Économusée  – launched in 2012, the museum invites visitors to explore Gagné’s atelier and back store (I’ve never seen so many fur coats in one place!) in a fascinating guided tour that teaches not only about this label, but about the history of fashion in Montreal. It’s a great way to absorb the craftsmanship and detail that goes into the kind of restorative work Gagné and her team do. It paints a sharp contrast to the world of fast fashion.

“You can get a pair of boots for the cost of a cup of coffee today,” says Gagné. “It doesn’t make sense, if you think of the work that goes into making a pair of boots. As a fashion person it’s up to us to educate people on this imbalance. There’s a very big difference between the boots at $19 and the ones at $200. It’s not the same materials, it wasn’t made in the same conditions, it’s not going to last the same way…  the $200 pair will last you 10 years. The effect on the planet is so much less in the long run.”

So make a visit to this made-in-Montreal design house a must while you’re in town, and while you’re at it, reserve yourself a half-day for the area. “Every week there’s a new condo building, a new restaurant, a new Starbucks in this area! It’s so great,” says Gagné. “There’s Parisian Laundry and Arsenal, two art galleries that are just amazing; cute cafés and restaurants on Notre-Dame Street; you can rent a peddle-boat on the Lachine Canal, go to the Atwater Market… discover an area that’s kind of what Brooklyn has become to New York.”

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THE DETAILS

Harricana par Mariouche, 3000 Saint-Antoine West, (514) 287-6517

Photos by Coey Kerr

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Montreal designer Mariouche Gagné has carved a cosy little niche for herself and called it “Ecoluxe.” At Harricana, her beautiful all-white boutique near the Atwater Market, shoppers can sift through racks and shelves of re-cycled fur products: everything from full-length coats to chic aviator hats to cuddly teddy bears.

Last season, Mariouche also added a line of recycled wedding dresses, from which she makes the cutest little tops; but seeing that the weather in Montreal is getting cooler – I’ve been told to brace for a heavy snowfall this year – my gal pals and I decided to check out what’s new in the winter warm-up department.

Move over, Lara! Check me out in my Snow Princess look: the ever-popular La Canadienne coat ($2,500) features an extra fluffy coyote fur hoodie, hem and cuffs. My creamy moccasin boots ($635, also available in tan and black) with matching coyote skins surely would’ve made Pocahontas look twice. For style that’s a little more urban, girlfriend Ashley liked the Tireak bomber jacket ($2,400) with Norwegian fox trim, and Thérèse cut a stunning silhouette in the Perfecto ($1,600), in brown leather and coyote.

LOCAL LOVELIES

New in store are some interesting collaborations with fellow Canadian designers, such as the sweater dresses and cardigans from Preloved (love the fur pompoms!), waterproof boots from Pajar and necklaces by Charlotte Hosten. FYI: Harricana also features select non-fur pieces from up-and-comer Mélissa Nepton, urbanite Ève Gravel, and retro-influenced Annie 50.

Alternatively, if you have a fur coat already and it needs a makeover (Don’t you raid Grandma’s closet without her permission!), you can opt to have it completely remodelled, or have it re-purposed into a – much less pricey – hat, purse, earmuffs, boa, vest, or hand-warmer. The mezzanine at Harricana is reserved for private consultations with Célyne (who does the re-designing) and fittings.

As a little treat, the Harricana staff also allowed us to peak downstairs and visit the private atelier – where some of the Ecoluxe magic happens – and the awesome storage room where literally a wall of fur coats is just waiting to be Ecoluxed-out.

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