(hot shop) Shop for holiday gifts or yourself at the annual souk @ sat art and design fair – it’s hip, it’s cool, it’s very Montreal, with over 100 professional artists and designers selling unique clothing, jewellery, handbags, furniture, home accessories, toys, art and more. The sale happens November 30 to December 2 at the Société des Arts Technologiques downtown, where you can also stop for a bite at their FoodLab restaurant. Find more Quebec-made creations, from clothing to gourmet food, at Le Marché Casse Noisette, also known as The Nutcracker Market, a non-profit market co-organized by Les Grands Ballets Canadiens – it’s one of many of Montreal’s December craft and artisanal fairs. Environmentally conscious shopping meets eco-education and entertainment – including a Green Santa! – at the Recycling-Artists Eco Fair at the Biosphère ecological centre in Parc Jean-Drapeau, November 30-December 2. And in Mile End, check out Marché de Noël du Mile End at Ecole Lambert-Closse (5840 St-Urbain), November 30 until 9 p.m. and December 1, 10am-5pm., featuring food, gifts and more.

(winter wonderlands) Montreal’s first snowfall has come and gone already, but more picturesque snow days are certainly on their way – and with them, winter sports! The huge outdoor skating rink in the Old Port opens December 1 – if you get there before 11 a.m., skate for free! If you get there afterwards, it’s only $6 anyway, with rentals available on site too. Later on December 1, the TELUS Fire on Ice fireworks show lights up the sky over the Old Port starting at 8 p.m. And over at the Montréal Museum of Fine Arts, wander through an indoor forest of Christmas trees, decorated in different styles with traditional and hand-painted decorations by local associations and cultural groups. Access to the museum’s permanent collections is free at all times, as are the museum’s weekend art workshops and tours for kids and families.

(comedy gold) Some big names in comedy come to Montreal this week, but while Jerry Seinfeld’s December 1 at Place des Arts is sold out, there’s still a chance to see Robin Williams in freewheeling conversation with fellow comedian (and director and author) David Steinberg on December 5 at Place des Arts. Not only is Williams’ career in television, film and on stage on the interview agenda, but so is his personal life – sure to be strange, hilarious and entertaining. On a smaller but just as funny scale, New York City veteran comic Al Lubel treads the Montreal Comedy Works stage November 30 and December 1. And family-friendly circus, musical and epic adventure show Loucho the Clown continues at Theatre Ste-Catherine to December 2.

(immersive art) Montreal lights up throughout the month with Luminotherapie, works of high-tech art located throughout the Quartier des Spectacles in the downtown core. Follow the story of an iceberg in interactive installation Iceberg – human movement actually transforms the physical structure and the sounds within, and look out for the many videos of Le Jour des 8 Soleils, projected on buildings throughout the Quartier. Create a professional self-portrait at the WonderWall collective art project at ArtLab (5524 St-Patrick), all day December 1 and 2 – you don’t need any art experience to be a participant and all materials will be supplied. And the Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal holds its Giant Inventory Sale of Musée Publications – all publications are on sale for $2, cash only – December 4-5.

(film lands) At the end of Montreal’s film festival season, we find a celebration: Image+Nation has spent 25 years bringing LGBT films from around the world to Montreal, with plenty of good ones this year too, playing at Cinema du Parc until December 2 – feature length dramas this weekend include Joshua Tree, 1951: A Portrait of James Dean, Nicole Conn’s A Perfect Ending and more. Also at Cinema du Parc is Montreal’s Brazilian film festival, November 30-December 6, featuring premiers of new Brazilian films along with directors present for Q&A sessions after screenings.

(opera & theatre) Opera de Montreal holds its 17th annual Gala fundraiser with some of the companies most adored singers performing arias and ensembles from productions past and present – held at the beautiful new Maison symphonique de Montréal on Sunday, December 2 at 2 p.m. Meanwhile, in theatre, David Lindsay-Abaire’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play Good People, set in Boston’s working-class Irish “Southie” neighbourhood, continues at the Centaur to December 6. Contemporary painting gets the dramatic treatment in Red, based on the work and life of artist Mark Rothko, at the Segal Centre to December 16. And live it up with a night of vaudeville on December 6 at the Segal, with live music from Bad Uncle, comedians Mike Paterson, Tim Rabnet and Ryan Wilner, burlesque and circus acts, and  more.

(dancing days) The fairytale of Snow White is turned into an urban, dreamy, often funny dance odyssey in Où est Blanche-Neige?, choreographed by Manon Oligny as part of this winter’s Parcours Danse events – see a free performance at Espace culturel Georges-Émile-Lapalme at Place des Arts on December 4 at 5 p.m. and a free performance of Alors, Dansez Maintenant! on December 5 at 11:45 a.m. Persian music and contemporary dance combine in Śūnya, at the Segal Centre on December 1. Dance Cité presents Nancy Leduc’s Projet Harlequin, inspired by reading Harlequin romance novels as a teenager, to December 8 at Théâtre de Quat’sous (100 Pins W.). And up-and-coming dancers perform short pieces at the Bouge d’ici Mash Up, hosted by Miss Sugarpuss on November 30 at Shift Space (1190 St-Antoine W.).

(warm-up music) Back home after European tours, Montreal’s Jonas and the Massive Attraction show off their rock-pop stuff at Club Soda on Friday, November 30. On Saturday, December 1, Montreal musician Ariane Moffatt returns with her bilingual blend of jazz, electro and folk, with electro-pop makers Young Galaxy at the Corona Theatre, while jazz-blues entertainer Leon Redbone is at Sala Rossa – and on a different, but also Montreal-based note, Grim Skunk get their rock-punk-world-beat on at Club Soda. Sunday, December 2 is the right kind of day for the Gospel Celebration 30th Anniversary, featuring the wonderful Montreal Jubilation Gospel Choir and special guests at Théâtre Maisonneuve at Place des Arts, 8 p.m. On Monday, December 3, get into the soulful, kind of jazzy, kind of rock music of Rachael Yamagata at Sala. On Tuesday, December 4, it’s NYC folk-pop group Pearl and the Beard at Sala. And on Thursday night, spend an evening with Loreena McKennitt at Place des Arts, or chill out with the Americana-style rock of Band of Horses at Metropolis, or dance to the electro-beat of Diamond Rings and Mozart’s Sister at Sala.

The post THINGS TO DO IN MONTREAL: NOVEMBER 30- DECEMBER 6 appeared first on Tourisme Montréal Blog.

Our Shop Hop guides are designed to help you scope out the most fashionable finds in town by suggesting easy-to-walk excursions through the city’s nicest neighbourhoods. Not only will you get a feel for Montreal as locals experience it, you’ll also come away with souvenirs that’ll remind you of your magical trip to la belle ville every time you wear them. After our hunt for designer ware in Outremont, get a load of the great men’s wear offerings in Old Montreal.

Surrounded by the classic grandeur of Old Montreal, abounding with European charm and ye olde quaintness, it’s natural to feel like you should be wearing your Sunday best. And as luck may have it, the city’s best designer stores have flocked to the area like as many golden-egg geese, ready to chic you up. The city’s founding neighbourhood is a hotbed of hot men’s wear.

Start on the corner of Saint-Laurent and Saint-Paul, one of the area’s main east-west shopping drags, with the Marché Bonsecours at your back, and head westward. Among the first shops you’ll encounter is the two-storey boutique of one of Quebec’s most famous designers, Denis Gagnon, who only recently started offering men’s wear to his clients. His looks are dark and dense and as edgy as the boutique’s modernist angular design, predicated structural shapes and on layering of different textures in basics hues (mostly black). He is a master leatherworker, which he contrasts with wools so soft you could melt into them.

U&I, across the street, used to sell his wares before he had a boutique of his own, but now counts among its international brands Moncler, Ralph Lauren and Mackage. They flirt with edginess in their selections but carry lots of great basics, from shoes to shirts to outer wear like wax jackets and puffer coats (both Quebec essentials). Reborn is a boutique that caters as much to the young and avant-garde as to the working man, depending on your level of daring. It carries fantastic brands like Acne Men (everything from denim to tees), Kin (the sharpest parkas) and Fleet Ilya (who make one mean looking basketball sling).

Time for a lunch break? Perfect coincidence, you happen to be in from of Bocata, the little sister of the next-door Barroco. The stars on the recently launched seasonal menu include an insane lobster dish with chestnut lasagna and anis-pumpkin purée, which you’ll enjoy sitting in a leather booth so silky soft you’ll think you’re still pawing one of Denis Gagnon’s jackets. Make sure to pair your plates with some of the private import vintages the restaurant is renowned for.

Espace Pépin awaits the refreshed you few doors westward; the grand shop owned by Lysanne Pépin mixes furniture with accessories for the home with jewelry, shoes and clothing. It’s a great place to pick up a rugged carpetbag or distressed leather chukkas. Michel Brisson’s eponymous boutique a bit further is much more streamlined, both in concept and style: the glass-tiled boutique itself offers perfect rows of clothing that are the utmost in gentlemen’s wear (he carries Dries Van Noten, Filippa K, Zegna and James Perse, among others). This is the place to go to pick up that flawless suit, luxurious wool overcoat or thick leather porte-documents by Montreal brand WANT les essentiels de la vie.

Okay, time for a little detour, but before – need a coffee? Pick up the neighbourhood’s best latte – and a sandwich for the hotel room later, why not? – at Olives et Gourmando. Turn right and head first to Quai 417, a boutique dedicated to independent designers where among the leather goods and high top sneakers you’ll find the most unique looks under one roof, including those conceived by local fashion makers Philippe Dubuc (otherwise known as the perfect suit man) and UNTLTD (a pair of up-and-comers you should know).

A little further northward on Notre-Dame there’s Rooney, home to colourful basics like two-toned canvas hand luggage by Heritage Leather Co., chambray shirts by Our Legacy or quilted jackets by Barbour. Finally, for the last stop you’ll be turning on McGill avenue, which runs at right angles with Notre-Dame: Stones Splash may not be a stylish high-design store like those on Saint-Paul, but it’s your stop for great rugged basics like thick wool sweaters, plaid shirts and chunky brown lace-ups – just the kind of thing you need to traipse around cobblestoned alleyways.

THE DETAILS
Boutique Denis Gagnon, 170B St-Paul West, (514) 935-6360
U&I, 215 St-Paul West, (514) 508-7704
Reborn, 231 St-Paul West, (514) 499-8549
Bocata, 310 St-Paul West, (514) 507-8727
Espace Pépin, 350 St-Paul West, (514) 844-0114
Michel Brisson, 384 St-Paul West, (514) 285-1012
Olives et Gourmando, 351 Rue Saint Paul West, (514) 350-1083
Quai 417, 417 St-Pierre, (514) 419-3848
Rooney, 395 Notre-Dame West Nº 101, (514) 543-6234
Stones Splash, 46 rue McGill, (514) 288-5827

Photo Credit Denis Gagnon: Sebastien Roy

The post SHOP HOP: MENSWEAR IN OLD MONTREAL appeared first on Tourisme Montréal Blog.

Our Shop Hop guides are designed to help you scope out the most fashionable finds in town by suggesting easy-to-walk excursions through the city’s nicest neighbourhoods. Not only will you get a feel for Montreal as locals experience it, you’ll also come away with souvenirs that’ll remind you of your magical trip to la belle ville every time you wear them. First up: women’s designer ware in Outremont – and slightly beyond.

Outremont is among the city’s greenest and most picturesque hoods, and its main shopping drag, Laurier Avenue West, shines as a beacon of world-class designer clothing. Plus, you’ll find amazing options for either weekend brunch (mile-high French toast at Lémeac), lunch (steak-frites at Chez Lévesque), high tea (macarons at Esprithé) or cocktail hour (anything at Baldwin Barmacie), to rest between stops. So let’s get to it!

Starting at Laurier’s western tip, on the corner of De l’Épée, you’ll find local designer Isabelle Élie’s eponymous boutique, home to beautifully tailored blouse-and-skirt sets and dresses. A lover of brightly coloured silks and interesting mixes of patterns, Élie offers both prêt-à-porter and bespoke fashions at this second-floor shop/atelier.

Across the street heading eastward, Henriette L. has been a mainstay on the strip for over three decades, and for good reason: the moody, high-design store houses a judiciously chosen collection of international labels including Sonia Rykiel, Yohji Yamamoto and Jean Paul Gaultier. Think black, sculptural pieces punctuated by bursts of colour – you’ll spot the vibe from the amazing window display.

Down a couple of blocks, both Tristan & America and BCBG are more casual and pocketbook-friendly street-wear labels that are worth a stop. BCBG is designer Max Azria’s international line of office and flirty party threads, while Tristan is special in that it’s a Quebec-born Canada-wide chain specializing in work-friendly wear like sweater dresses and pantsuits.

Get a shot of European glamour eastward at another cornerstone, Mousseline, where you can find an exuberant and unique mix of James Perse, Nolita, Twin-Set, Virginia Johnson and Odd Molly. The window of their narrow storefront is always a beacon of layered textures and colours.

François Beauregard’s boutique a few doors down brings us back to local designers – his clothes are easy-to-wear, conceived-in-Montreal basics that prioritize comfort and casual sexiness. (His camis have fans citywide!)

The impressive, two-story Une île en Amérique is a mecca of Quebec design, uniting the best of everyone from Denis Gagnon to Marie Saint Pierre, Nadia Toto, Yves-Jean Lacasse, Melissa Nepton and Joseph Helmer. It also acts as an art space, with roving exhibitions that keep the space constantly renewed, and offers an impressive collection of local jewelry as well – you’ll find your made-in-Mtl souvenir here, guaranteed.

By now you’ve reached the limits of Outremont, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t recommend a couple of store on Saint-Laurent Boulevard, just around the corner in what is officially Mile End. When you reach Laurier and St-Laurent, turn north and within the first block you’ll find Unicorn. Lovers of all things black, well-cut and sedate, the folks behind Unicorn bring lines from Sweden and Australia that no one else carries in town. They also boast young Montreal designers like Marie-Eve Emond (of Betina Lou) and Ève Gravel, whose dresses you’ll fall in love with.

Northward, Montreal duo Tavan & Mitto have their atelier/boutique, where you’ll find sophisticated fine wool overcoats, jewel-coloured silken gowns and draped blouses perfect for the office – if you happen to toil in a fabulous workplace. Finally, just across the street is Les Étoffes, a venerable last stop for this fashion excursion: their impeccable collection of internationally-culled labels presents everything that’s just-so and perfect for that season, be it boyfriend pea coats by Rachel Comey or leather bags by Deadly Ponies. All you need to strut, Montreal-style.

A

THE DETAILS

Isabelle Élie, 1090 Laurier West, (514) 276-1568

Henriette L., 1031 Laurier West, (514) 277-3426

BCBG, 1020 Laurier West, (514) 274-6719

Tristan & America, 1001 Laurier West, (514) 271-7787

Mousseline, 220 Laurier West, (514) 878-0661

François Beauregard, 204 Laurier West, (514) 508-0772

Une île en Amérique, 102 Laurier West, (514) 878-0661

Unicorn, 5135 Saint-Laurent, (514) 544-2828

Tavan & Mitto, 5334 Saint-Laurent, (514) 279-1212

Les Étoffes: 5253 Saint-Laurent, (514) 544-5500

The post MONTREAL SHOP HOP: OUTREMONT (MOSTLY) appeared first on Tourisme Montréal Blog.