A spontaneous fashion show that will go down in history

After a year-long absence, the Fashion + Design Festival had returned this year, much to the delight of art and fashion enthusiasts. It goes without saying that the event had to be adapted to the current circumstances. 

But when a challenge arises, LaSalle College sees an opportunity to renew itself, hence the idea of creating a fashion show, not on a normal stage, but in the heart of the city, on Sainte-Catherine Street. 

An event featuring the next generation of designers

The last two editions of the SIGNATURE fashion show, the final product of our Fashion Design graduates, were unable to take place, and it seemed essential to find an alternative to showcase the incredible achievements of our graduates.

Last spring, a collaboration between the well-known designers of the Quebec industry and our graduates gave rise to SIGNATURE, the book: a prestigious 200-page work, on sale in a temporary boutique in downtown Montréal where the creations of tomorrow's designers were on display.

However, the Fashion + Design Festival seemed like the perfect opportunity for the SIGNATURE show to be revived. Under a revisited structure, the creations of our Fashion Design students from the 2020 and 2021 cohorts were featured in the fashion show entitled FUTUR, by Mode + Design in collaboration with XP MTL.

The Fashion + Design Festival was organised under 4 main themes, including FUTUR, which embodied the new generation, the innovations, and the ecological and social alternatives. It was under this theme that the fashion show of the same title was held.

From this vision was born the longest spontaneous fashion show ever created in Canada!

More than 80 models and dancers, accompanied by the music of a DJ on a bicycle, marched nearly 3 kilometers, starting from LaSalle College, and finishing at the Place des Festivals.

All along Sainte-Catherine Street, pedestrians, as well as retailers and their customers, had only one thing in mind: this impressive fashion show. The colorful outfits, the dancers moving to the rhythm of the music, as well as the thirty or so balloons in the hands of the models: all was there to grab everyone’s attention!

Along the way, the fashion show stopped at the Esplanade de la Place Ville-Marie, at the corner of Cathcart and McGill College. Everyone took a seat on the monumental staircase to take the most memorable photo of the event. All the outfits could be seen along with all their glorious details.

The FUTUR fashion show ended its journey at the Place des Festivals, on the site of the Fashion + Design Festival.  The audience was not disappointed: the models and dancers were a sight to behold with their contagious energy! After a tour of the festival grounds, everyone took a seat on the stairs for a breathtaking view.

A notable presence at the Festival

LaSalle College had an outstanding presence at the entrance of the festival. With its station, the Oasis, visitors were immersed in the world of SIGNATURE, the book, through creative demonstrations and the broadcast of the official video of the book. The book was also available for sale on site: a great surprise for many visitors who browsed through it and immediately fell in love with it!

Following the fashion show, our Oasis was even used as a catwalk by several models who found it a great opportunity to strike a pose... And the results are superb!

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