The latest local fashion news

The latest local fashion news.

Valerie Simard
The Press

Featured

Vonhguard: Quebec-style urban fashion

In a fashion sector dominated by logos, they want to establish themselves above all through their style. Recently winner of a prize of excellence given by Black Designers of Canada, Vonhguard leaves its mark, in Quebec in particular, where its creators are established.

It was in 2018 that Vonhguard – a name inspired by the old French “vanguard” for avant-garde – saw the light of day with the launch of simple pieces like t-shirts and hoodies. Now in their fourth collection, the trio behind Vonhguard offer slightly more complex and diverse pieces that continue to be part of street fashion. “Initially, we thought we were going to make innovations in our designs. Today we focus more on the visual. »

Nelson Nzohabonimana, Elvis M. Berwa and Stephen Igiraneza have known each other since childhood. Originally from Burundi, Rwanda and the Republic of Congo respectively, they met at the age of 4, shortly after their family arrived in Quebec. Always driven by the arts, they have turned to fashion to express their creativity.

“We dressed at the base in the streetwear, then came the idea of ​​expressing oneself through clothing, says Nelson Nzohabonimana, co-founder of Vonhguard. We didn’t find that we found ourselves in the garment, in the one we wanted to wear. »

With Vonhguard, they wanted to break away from the “logomania” that characterizes urban fashion brands to offer clothes that are identified above all by their style and aesthetics.

More present at the beginning to make the brand known, the logo is thus more discreet in the spring collection which was launched in mid-February. There is a fleece hoodie, jogging pants, a balaclava and a transition jacket. “We are super proud to present a coat, underlines Nelson Nzohabonimana. It is a technical challenge. It’s not easy and it’s quite expensive to do it locally. »

Patronage, cutting, printing and part of the assembly: Vonhguard products are manufactured in their workshop on rue Saint-Vallier, under the supervision of production manager Faustin Bibo. “Producing locally is really a plus,” observes Nelson. We’ve been doing it for the past year. It’s good to always have a visual of what is being done, which is not possible when you outsource abroad. The more local the production, the more precise it is. For this reason, the quantities of pieces offered in each collection are limited.

To highlight them, they surrounded themselves with seven models from various origins. “They are friends, who are from Quebec City and come from different ethnic groups. There are Quebecers, people from the Maghreb, others from Eastern Europe, others from sub-Saharan Africa. It is a representation of the world around us. We’re trying to expand the diversity of our models even more, but it’s a really good start. »

For now, the collections are at the rate of two per year. But a capsule collection, whose profits could be used to encourage artistic practice among young people, is in the cards.

fashion week

Marie-Eve Lecavalier back in Paris

Designer Marie-Ève ​​Lecavalier is back at Paris Fashion Week this week to showcase her new Fall/Winter 2022-2023 ready-to-wear collection. Last September, she became the first Canadian woman to take part in this prestigious event which brings together the biggest fashion brands on the planet. His presentation, called “Madeleine”, took place Thursday at the Palais de Tokyo. The pieces that have been unveiled echo the handmade and upcycling dear to Lecavalier, and highlight the original leather weaving technique that she has developed. Woolen knitting and denim are also present in this collection, which aims to be a “reinterpretation of French-Canadian codes, American clichés and fundamental elements of workwear aesthetics”. The designer is accompanied in Paris by Romane Poulin, intern and undergraduate student in management and fashion design at ESG UQAM.

Collaboration

The naive art of Julia GR at Eve Gravel

Montreal designer Eve Gravel is stepping into summer with the unveiling of her latest collaboration. For her spring-summer collection, she teamed up with illustrator Julia GR to create floral motifs that embellish several of the pieces presented: jumpsuits, skirts, dresses, shirts, shorts and tops with puffy sleeves. The naive and colorful style of the artist, who regularly approaches nature and femininity in her works, blends with the sober and elegant cuts of Eve Gravel’s creations. Currently available for pre-order, this collection also includes pieces with a tartan pattern and several pieces in soft solid colors.

Sustainable fashion

Second hand clothes at the mall

Second-hand clothing is making inroads into malls with the Street Market Boutique, a traveling second-hand clothing market located in Toronto. Through events, often organized in the premises of shopping centers, the store offers clothing called ” vintage “, dating back more than 20 years and having a certain “historical” value, and others called “sustainable”, more recent and also more affordable and intended for a second life. After a visit to Alexis Nihon and the Rockland Center in recent weeks, the Street Market Boutique will be at Mail Champlain in Brossard on March 12 and 13. “Cominar’s shopping centers are evolving, and the events of the past two years have served as a catalyst to bring change more quickly,” said Sébastien Dubois, Vice President, Leasing – Retail, Cominar, owner, in a press release. of these three shopping centers. We are always looking for new ideas and sustainable business models, because we want to offer our visitors an experience that corresponds to their consumption habits and their changing needs. »

Prizes and scholarships

After work clothes, the Pilote & Filles scholarships

After creating colorful work clothes and accessories for women, Pilote & Filles set up a scholarship program for those learning a traditionally male trade. For the third year, this program, conducted in collaboration with women’s organizations, is back in five regions of Quebec. The grand prize consists of a $4,000 purse with full clothing of products from Pilote & Filles, a brand co-founded by comedian Marie-Lise Pilote. Five regional scholarships will also be offered by entrepreneurs and institutions from the participating regions. Those wishing to apply can do so until March 20. The prizes will be awarded on May 19, during a virtual event.