Report by Ada Yakobi and Anna Smirnova

Montréal Fashion Week was a busy site this season. Held at Marché Bonsecours, the incredible energy and excitement overtook the venue, with hundreds of bloggers, designers, models and fashionistas in attendance. Champagne was flowing, creativity was booming and the fashion shows were colourful and vibrant.

There were many great runway presentations this season, and here are some of FAJO‘s highlights.

This season was Montréal Fashion Week's 22nd installment.

Who said fashion can’t be environmentally friendly? Organic art filled the runway with ABOL’s line of eco-friendly couture. The moment the models hit the runway, it was immediately obvious that the clothing was one-of-a-kind, as it was made from raw organic wool, as well as reclaimed silk. ABOL’s designs were handcrafted from recycled silk, cotton, wool and some pieces were recycled dresses, coloured with low-impact dyes. Designer Hamideh Abol focused on the renewal of an ancestral way of dressing. While some dresses were embellished with head pieces, others were spiced up with bulky belts or statement jewelry. Most numbers were sleeveless, gently hugging the body.

Aside from his gorgeous daughters, Samuel Dong stunned the public with pieces that reflected a rather European touch and elegance. Dong focused on very bold cuts and his dresses varied from vibrant red to earth-tone brown. The looks ranged from princess-like puffy skirts to chic business wear, accentuated with delicate and flowing fabrics, high heels and a strong glamour touch.

Now talent comes in many shapes and sizes, but for Montréal, there was a lot of talent to be found at College LaSalle, which yielded the top three winners of the TELIO scholarship competition. This competition, founded by Andre Telio, allows Canadian breakthrough designers to have their pieces grace the runways at the fashion week. This time, the theme was Rouge+Red Inferno and the winner was the 22-year-old LaSalle student Alexandre Arsenault, who received the grand prize of $5,000 and wowed the crowd with his one-sleeved red dress that was embellished with zippers. Arsenault, himself, described his style as “dark, skater and leathery.” He said he dreams of becoming a well-known and successful Canadian designer someday.

The final highlight of the week was the show of COLLECTIF, which brought together Anastasia Lomonova, LYN by Jocelyn Picard and UNTTLD. Aside from the bohemian music, the theme was black, emotional, symbolic and screamed power. There was a mix of fur, chiffon, leather, lace, black and brown, and the show finished with a strong focus on white pieces. The wool dress/sweater combination was the most popular choice, alongside the flashy gold-and-silver statement jewelry that accompanied the black dresses.

FAJO’s Best Dressed