fashion news

Some fashion and beauty news from here and elsewhere.

Cultivate your style!

The Fumile millinery celebrates the two years of its large shop in the village of Frelighsburg this week. The designer couple, Mélodie Lavergne and Alex Surprenant, take the opportunity to launch their summer collection, a collection that is particularly dear to them. The fruit of long research, it salutes earth workers with a straw that is both stylish and ultra-resistant.

The Eastern Townships are the region of the hour for promising eco-agricultural projects: vegetable and flower farms, vineyards, country tables and others are constantly settling there. So Fumile wanted to offer these neo-peasants, often arriving from the city, original headgear.

But first you had to choose a high quality, resistant and affordable straw. Mélodie and Alex eventually found themselves in Mexico and Guatemala. “The way the material is constructed is very special,” explains Alex. It is not the same sheet as to make the lighter straw that is used for the panama, for example. There are palm leaves that form long four-strand braids. These are then sewn in such a way as to make the straw very resistant. That way, if you hit a branch while working in the forest, your hat won’t get damaged. »

The equipment to press this type of straw being far too expensive, the couple does everything by hand, in limited quantities. “We expected the worst, because it’s thick, but we were pleasantly surprised by the way it worked,” reveals Mélodie. At the launch this weekend, around fifty hats from the Cultivateur collection will be ready, out of a potential of 200 by the end of the summer, with a “tailor-made” option for capricious heads!

An invitation to visit Frelighsburg

As the Cantons are also a vacation region, Fumile has also planned a collection of Panama hats, made of much finer straw. “There is tourism in Freli and the panama is the perfect hat for walking around,” says Alex. The colors chosen for this summer are warm, with brown, burgundy and orange. It’s a change from the natural Panama hats you find everywhere. Afterwards, we have fun with the ornaments, the shapes, the little details. The brand’s signature “scar” is of course still present.

With regard to tourism, precisely, the couple encourages people to travel to shop on site. A hat, try it! “Most of the products from the new collections are not going to be on our website. We are very busy and don’t have time to redo photo shoots and update the site each season, explains the hatter. People think we mostly sell online, but that’s not the case. In addition, it is our specialty to advise clients on what suits them well. We want to see them! »

Moreover, a short trip to “Freli” is never refused. Fumile shares its premises with the restaurant Passe-Montagne, where you can eat and drink very nice local products. Soon, there will even be accommodation for rent at the back of the building for short stays. “It’s going to be called the Quebec House, like when it was a hotel,” Alex tells us.

Hats from the Cultivator collection cost between $160 and $240. Panama hats start at $240. There will also be fabric hats later this summer.

The boutique is open from Thursday to Sunday, at 32, rue Principale, in Frelighsburg. For a more personalized service, you can make an appointment on the site.

The end of Annie 50

After 18 years of dressing and “bringing” the Quebec woman, the Montreal fashion brand Annie 50 is dying. Its founders, Amélie Gingras-Rioux and Annie Chagnon, made the announcement on Wednesday, prompting a lot of messages of recognition on social networks.

Created in 2005, before fast fashion extended its hegemony, Annie 50 was part of the birth of a movement marked by the emergence of several Quebec designers offering ready-to-wear. “He’s my 18-year-old baby and I’m letting him go. It’s a decision that is extremely difficult and hurts,” said Annie Chagnon in an interview, while calling for better support for local creators. The company has been hit hard by the effects of the pandemic and inflation, explains Amélie Gingras-Rioux. “Costs are rising for us too. We had to increase the price of our products, but people don’t have more money. In the end, financial difficulties got the better of their passion.

For those who would like to get a last piece of Annie 50, the present spring-summer collection is still available at points of sale. The company sells its stock, at a discount, in its online store and will participate in the Virée des ateliers, from June 2 to 4.

The Meghan Markle effect on Merrell boots

Who would have bet that Merrell hiking boots would cause a stir? This is without counting on the Meghan Markle effect! The Duchess of Sussex recently hiked with friends in California, and as so often, her looks caught the eye. This time around, it’s her Merrell hiking boots ($190) that have generated so much excitement that they’re sold out. The young woman wore black leggings and a t-shirt with a khaki jacket and a pair of espresso/apricot-colored Merrell Azura, comfortable boots for hikers and regulars.

Tested and approved: that I like your coffee color

We like the products of the Montreal brand Groom, and its new soap enriched with shea butter is no exception. His personal signature? It was embellished with espresso coffee grounds collected from a Mile End stall, the ground beans acting as an exfoliant. The idea of ​​soaping up with such residue may seem strange, and one approaches the beast’s nostrils with suspicion. False alarm, you won’t smell the mocha all day long, because a pleasant fragrance of eucalyptus and bitter orange coats everything. Called Arabica, the pavement is moisturizing and long-lasting. Note that the exfoliation, soft and fine during the first uses, becomes more vigorous as the bar is reduced. Composed of olive, coconut, castor and hemp oils, it is handmade in Montreal.

Groom’s Arabica Soap, $12, 140g