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The latest fashion news from here and elsewhere

Eve Dumas
The Press

Featured

Classy performance

After athletics, hyperfunctional fashion has invaded the streets of major cities. Our daily post-lockdown “slack” is no longer content with being comfortable. He is also technical and ready to run a marathon or climb Kilimanjaro!

While several brands have spent the last few years chasing trends, those that have instead continued to bet on performance, such as Salomon, Arc’teryx, Hoka and other New Balance, are today adopted not only by top athletes, but also by moderators and fashionistas who don’t care about jogging. And now brands that we hadn’t seen coming are entering the race.

On, for example, is taking the North American market by storm, with campaigns visibly aimed at a young, active and stylish clientele. The shoe models of the Swiss brand born in 2010 have multiplied in recent years, a question of offering the patented CloudTec comfort, with its very soft cushioning, to as many runners and hikers as possible.

In its desire to dress its customers from head to toe, On also launched a first collection of clothing in 2017. This one was not available in Quebec, held exclusively at the Courir boutique, but this is no longer the case. . MEC, Sport Experts and several other retailers have followed suit, making ultra-comfortable tights, ultralight jackets and other pieces that perform as well as look good and are eco-friendly more accessible.

“To be fashionable today, you first have to be efficient,” believes Maxime Simard, representative at On for four years. “Our goal is to make the best possible product, with the best possible technology, in the most environmentally friendly way possible. If, afterwards, people wear parkas designed to climb Everest or trail shoes to work in downtown offices, why not? »

Of course, We will do more “fashionable” collaborations, like the one last spring with Loewe or the one to come with Ssense. It even intends to venture a bit into athlechic for lounge runners, but it will always remain a sports brand first and foremost.

At Ciele

The darling Montreal brand Ciele is full of collaborations, whether local (Norda shoes) or international (Salomon, Puma). But the novelty of the moment is the Elite collection. This is not the first lap of the cap maker in the world of clothing. These new pieces, sold exclusively online, however, have the particularity of being ultra-technical and high-end.

Ciele has developed its own materials for this collection, including Coolmatic, COOLmatic EXP with carbon, RipStop, etc. As for the design, it is the work of Catherine Langelier, who has imagined versatile but assertive pieces, suitable for coffee with friends, but also for the half-marathon. One thinks in particular of the EVD shorts and their particularly urban and all-purpose cut.

“These are silhouettes that simply don’t exist on the running market, with a host of extremely thoughtful functions and details”, rejoices Jeremy Bresnen, co-founder of the brand which has not finished surprising us, notably with a very first Ciele store to come, in Griffintown.

New collection

Bewitching nostalgia

LLY Atelier’s new collection and its superb campaign exude a subtle spell that deepens with each new glance. Sandstones is inspired by structures observed in nature and fundamental shapes in jewelry. The designer Agathe Bodineau, who has practiced jewelery on her own for more than 10 years, has also allowed herself a certain nostalgia by revisiting necklaces close to the neck (chokers) and the somewhat gothic influences of his adolescence. Everything is still designed, produced, cast and assembled in Montreal, between the foundry downtown and the Mile-Ex workshop. “I create only one collection per year, which allows me to think carefully about what I want to say and to avoid the hectic pace of seasonal collections. I see jewelry as something that people want to wear for a long time and not just for one season”, explains the jeweler who mainly works with silver.

Eve Dumas, The Press

Opening

A new cocoon for Lepidoptera

Lepidoptere, a locally made Montreal brand, has created a pretty cocoon on rue Duluth, in the Plateau Mont-Royal. Previously distributed exclusively online and in a few points of sale, it is now set up in a bright space that showcases the house’s creations as well as a few favorites of designer and owner, Pauline Dougé.

It was the closing of the Station Service shop last March that prompted Pauline Dougé to open her own, Boutique Lépi, after having had to repatriate the stock she had planned to sell at Station Service to her apartment. She was already toying with the idea of ​​having a workshop-boutique and the presence of vacant premises in her neighborhood convinced her to take the plunge. “I wanted the store to reflect the values ​​of the brand and for people to feel at home, in a caring atmosphere,” she says. Beyond the garment, we want to offer an exchange with the customer, to share our values ​​for things well done, ecology, the social side too since there are stages in production that are done by young people in reintegration. »

Lépidoptere relies on tops with timeless cuts, especially the blouse, and favors natural materials. The new models are first offered for pre-order (possible fitting in store), before being put into production. You can also find products from the Petit Lépi (clothing for babies 0-3 months) and Lépi Home (home accessories) collections in the store, as well as caps, candles, stationery, jewelry and beauty products from Quebec brands such as ‘Esser, Baltic Club, Boréalie, L’aune and Flambette.

79 Duluth Street East, Montreal

Valerie Simard, The Press