Fashion + Design Festival | Emma Hotte experiences her baptism of fire

The creations of young designer Emma Hotte could well turn heads at the Festival Mode + Design this Saturday. Indeed, two of the twelve silhouettes of the parade of the École de mode du Cégep Marie-Victorin were designed by the 20-year-old Montrealer. Not bad for a first professional fashion show!

Asked the day before the show, the young woman was still struggling to realize the chance that presents itself to her. “We already had our end-of-program parade at the end of May and it was the big event we had been waiting for since we entered the program,” she explains. I really didn’t expect to be chosen for the festival parade, twice as soon as one! »

At the end of their program, the 50 or so students presented two or three silhouettes each. Three months later, only a few lucky ones will see the fruit of their imagination presented at the festival: Bouchra Khadra Ahmed Fouatih, Amélie Bélanger, Audran Château, Gabriel Fortin, Laurie Ponta, Thelma Renaud, Jade Ricard, Simon Roy as well as Emma Hotte.

It’s a safe bet that his loved ones will shout particularly loudly when his works shine in the spotlight. “Even if they have already seen my creations, my parents and my friends will be present. I invited them all back. »

This will be an opportunity to admire a short dress with long sleeves and flared pants accompanied by a long-sleeved sweater. Pieces that reflect the designer’s love for white, neutral colors and minimalism. “I like when it’s clean and very simple, while having a significant visual impact,” she says.

Taking pleasure in putting her style into words, she goes further. “During our last study project, I understood that I liked to question myself on what our creations can transmit as a message, she explains. I don’t want it to be just aesthetic. I want to find meaning in my work. It pushes me even further in my creative journey. »

Three years that changed everything

At the beginning of her studies, Emma Hotte relied almost exclusively on her instincts. “I put down on paper what I saw in my head and my inspiration came down to that. But the more time passed, the more I wanted to connect design to other passions. I don’t want it to be a banal garment, but something that has been thought about. »

She also saw all the complexity behind the creation of clothes. “Several people think it’s very easy, but in the field, you quickly understand that you have to go beyond the beauty of the design. We have to take a lot of technical elements into consideration and try to project them into the future. It’s impressive to see that! »

Her years of study have allowed her to accumulate a dazzling amount of knowledge and tools, but her most precious asset is probably the right to create.

It must be said that most of her family members have traditional professions (entrepreneur, speech therapist, doctor, engineer) and that she studied at the Sophie-Barat school, an establishment very focused on science. “In secondary five, I enrolled in CEGEP in natural sciences, but I had a flash in May: that’s not what I wanted to do. I decided to follow my passion and study fashion. It’s the best thing that ever happened to me! »

Her parents supported her from the start. “They are proud of me and they show my creations to everyone they meet. I am extremely lucky to have an entourage that accepts and encourages all of this. »

Despite her recent successes, Emma Hotte is still looking for herself a little. “I haven’t decided what I’m going to do with my career yet. I took a sabbatical year to explore all that. »

Among other things, she will follow an internship in a professional environment at Aubainerie, which she won in a competition at CEGEP. “I want to discover fashion in the job market. Then, depending on my experiences, I will see if I want to go to university to specialize or if I feel ready to launch my own line. It would be the dream. »