Gala mmode | Maria Karimi and Em & May, favorite designers

Seventeen prizes were awarded to Quebec creators and entrepreneurs during the third edition of the Gala mmode which was held Monday at Cégep Marie-Victorin in Montreal.

Montreal designer of Afghan origin, Maria Karimi, received the President’s Favorite Recognition Award for her projects MAR and Mindful Pigs. For more than ten years, Maria Karimi has dressed business people and personalities from the artistic world through MAR. First a fashion house dedicated to tailor-made tailoring, MAR launched in 2021 its first collection of high-end ready-to-wear for men and women. The following year, the designer unveiled Mindful Pigs, a clothing brand streetwear which offers vegan and gender-neutral pieces, made in Montreal with sustainability and longevity in mind.

The popular vote went to Em & May, a Montreal brand founded by Newfoundland-born designer Emilie Pitman, who won the Public’s Favorite Distinction Award. Started with a swimwear offering, Em & May is now also recognized for its inclusive lingerie and clothing, designed in sizes ranging from XXS to 2XL.

Several other designers and entrepreneurs were honored during this event created by mmode and the Metropolitan Fashion Cluster to support and propel mainly emerging talents. Among the winners, we find Isabelle Marcotte of Bonnetier and Carmen Popescu of Nemrac (In growth mode prize), Eliza Faulkner and Arin Gintowt (Distinction prize for development of the American market-women’s ready-to-wear), Inder Bedi of BEDI (Distinction prize development of the American men’s ready-to-wear market), Christine Deniger from Bac rose (#MMODEÉCO innovation prize), Marie-Christine Fortier from ESSER (fashion and clothing innovation prize), Valéry Larouche from Mikuniss Collection ( Wild Leather and Fur Innovation Prize), Rae Hill of Origami Customs (Diversity and Inclusion Distinction Prize), Noémie Vaillancourt of Noémiah (Female Entrepreneur Distinction Prize), Jason Picard-Binet of Bastien Industries (Indigenous-Owned Business Distinction Prize) , Anthony Vendrame of Poches & fils (Employer of the Year Distinction Award) as well as Anne-Marie Chagnon and Dominique Dunn of WellDunn Jewelry (Montreal Fashion Week 2023 Favorite Recognition Award).

Maxence Eugénie Richard, a student at LaSalle College, and Gauthier Rialland, a graduate of the same establishment, received respectively the Michèle Boulanger-Bussières Excellence Scholarship and the Excellence Scholarship in technical design and clothing.

Finally, Louis Bibeau, general manager of Logistik Unicorp and member of the board of directors of mmode, won the Honorary Distinction Award for his leadership in the industry.

The winners received an average scholarship of $10,000 each.