Last week, Canada celebrated eco fashion on a national scale, with the first ever Eco Fashion Week in Vancouver, and the ModEthik show during Montreal Fashion Week. It was a tough decision for an ecofashionista like myself to choose which city to attend, but in the end Montreal was where I landed.
The ModEthik show was produced by Montreal non-profit organization FEM International whose mission is to support socially and environmentally responsible entrepreneurial practices through awareness and education.
I had the opportunity to see the show that featured nine ethical designers, and attend a discussion around the eco fashion movement in Montreal, led by FEM International Executive Director Lis Suarez and Brenda Plant, Managing Director of Ethiquette. Ethiquette recently conducted a study on the ethical consumer in Montreal, and found that it is a younger female (age 20-40) who is more concerned with the social implications of what she wears, than the fabrics her clothes are made from. Interesting.
So it’s only fitting that the collections shown at ModEthik were all either manufactured locally, or were made in fair conditions.
Unlike the clothing shown on Canada’s west coast, which was entirely eco-friendly, ModEthik was the only show that represented ethical design in Montreal. A little disappointing nonetheless. However I did get to another runway show – Montreal designer Valerie Dumaine who produces 100 percent of her collection right in Montreal.
I also had the chance to hang out with eco fashion boutique owner Danny Lourenco of Rien a Cacher (which means “nothing to hide” for those whose french is a bit rusty) who provided me with some insight into the ethical fashion scene in Montreal.
I hope that next season Montreal takes its cue from Vancouver and injects more sustainable fashion into its Fashion Week. Here are some highlights: