When it comes to style-world power brokers, New York has its venture capitalists (and their seed money), while L.A. is the City of Agents. In Toronto, socialites and retail buyers wield a lot of influence. And in Montreal? It’s all about the stylists, who are respected to a degree unseen anywhere except maybe Paris or Hollywood.
“They are the ones test-driving the clothes in real life,” say Simon Bélanger and José Manuel St-Jacques, the duo behind the Montreal label UNTTLD, who work closely with Quebec stylists such as Azamit and Sara Bruneau to stage their shows, produce their look books and generally promote their brand. “Their feedback is precious to us.”
Coming at it from another perspective, Joanie Pietracupa, who’s the editor-in-chief of fashion magazine Clin d’Oeil and regularly hires local stylists (including Olivia Leblanc, Sabrina Deslauriers and Cary Tauben) to outfit her shoots, agrees. “They really are the PR people behind the fashion scene, making sure local labels are well represented in magazines and at events,” she says.
A primary reason for the outsized influence enjoyed by Quebecois stylists is the challenging atmosphere in which their clients, both artistic and editorial, work. Quebec’s distinct cultural market over all is another reason for their prominence. “Quebec is the only province with its own star system,” says Claude Laframboise, fashion director at LOULOU magazine. “And the stylists who dress these celebrities benefit from that exposure,” he adds, citing Annie L. Horth, whose work with Céline Dion, Julie Synder and Mitsou “has made her famous in her own right.”
From a creative point of view, “they understand how hard it is to be a designer here,” says Denis Gagnon, Montreal fashion’s eminence grise, referring to the relatively small, cash-strapped style markets in both Quebec and Canada. “We live a constant struggle, [with] smaller budgets and fewer possibilities, so we all have to innovate and find ways to do a lot with a little.”
Reanna Evoy, senior art director for ALDO and Call It Spring and a frequent collaborator with fellow Montrealers such as Azamit and Leblanc, adds: “When you work in a city that might not have all the resources of a larger fashion capital at your disposal, you get creative. It’s one thing to call up a designer showroom and have your pick of runway collections. It’s another to pull clothing from a variety of local sources to produce a unique look that inspires. That’s real talent.”
And real synergy. As the cultural centre of Quebec and a hub of sartorial self-expression, Montreal and its array of funky neighbourhoods (including Griffintown, Plateau Mont-Royal and the site of the fashion shoot pictured here, Mile End) offer plenty of creative fodder for working stylists, who in turn (re)inspire their peers. “Stylists, like designers, are inspired by their surroundings,” say Bélanger and St-Jacques. “Quebec stylists have an extra sense of pride in working with and supporting brands from their hometown,” Mackage co-creators Elisa Dahan and Eran Elfassy add. “We all work together to support one another and this only strengthens the Quebec fashion community.”
Even without the credentials of stars such as Horth, Belle Pro stylists still embrace their glossy stature with aplomb, often showing up to shoots and industry events in “photograph me” ensembles (or sometimes wearing hardly anything at all). “They are also such big characters and we love it,” say Bélanger and St-Jacques, who recall Azamit stripping down to her underwear and heels to browse their racks. “How many glamazons have you had sashaying nearly naked on stilettos in your studio?”
According to Montreal-based designer Travis Taddeo, it’s this fusion of fearlessness and French insouciance that sets them apart. “They’re not afraid to try something different, as opposed to always having to be commercial,” he says.
Evoy also credits this creative freedom with enabling Quebec’s fashion industry to be more expressive and idiosyncratic, rather than beholden to specific trends. “Montreal is real. You can stand out here because the city allows it. We’re not trying to be something we’re not. And we can take creative risks that might be more difficult to pull off elsewhere, which in the end makes you stand apart from the rest – in a good way.”
The tomboy
When she isn’t dressing models for fashion magazines or big-name brands from ALDO to Target, Olivia Leblanc, a self-proclaimed “sophisticated garçonne,” can be found shopping at Mile End’s Les Étoffes and dancing, drink in hand, at Bar Datcha. “I’m a very casual person but I love stepping it up with fun masculine accents, such as baggy sweaters and hats,” she says. Although Leblanc counts major celebs such as Gerard Butler and Mackelmore as clients, dressing one of her favourite bands, Chromatics, for its performance at Chanel’s spring 2013 show tops her list of favourite gigs. “It was magical and unbelievable,” she says, “to work with Karl’s team!”
Travis Taddeo vest and top (www.travistaddeo.com). Helmut Lang shorts from TNT (www.tntfashion.ca). Saint Laurent bag from Ssense (www.ssense.com). Aries and Leander necklace and rings (www.ariesandleander.com).
The perfectionist
Working in a smaller market doesn’t stop Fritz Picault from aiming high: When he’s flexing his creative muscles for magazines such as Elle Canada, Elle Quebec and Dress to Kill, he appraoches styling “with an international mindset. I don’t think about it in terms of ‘Montreal’ or needing to look relatable,” he says. “I do what I can with what’s available here and try to make it as interesting and beautiful as what you would see from New York or Europe.”
Comme Des Garçons shirt from Michel Brisson (www.michelbrisson.com). UNTTLD jacket and coat (www.unttld.ca). RAD by Rad Hourani jeans (www.radhourani.com). Shoes (www.lesetoffes.com).
The ex-designer
“To make a living through this job gives me great pride,” says Yso South, whose work appears in ads for Penningtons and in editorials for the Quebec magazines Pure, Clin d’Oeil and Dress to Kill. “To have luxury items like Chanel jewellery and haute couture on set … is a privilege.” Among the province’s fashion talent, he loves Denis Gagnon (“he consistently redefines himself”), UNTTLD (“for their sobriety”), Travis Taddeo (“for his simplicity and practicality”) and Paris-based Rad Hourani (“for his sophistication”).
Custom top, jacket and pants by Duy (www.duycollection.com). Céline coat (www.celine.com). Harakiri Design bracelets (www.harakiridesign.com). Pearls Before Swine necklace and earrings (www.pearlsbeforeswine.ca). Y-3 sneakers (www.y-3.com).
The interpreter
A stylist for such diverse brands as ALDO and Want Les Essentiels de la Vie, Sabrina Deslauriers is in demand. “The nicest compliment is when a client says my styling captured and enhanced the essence of their brand or personal style,” she says. Deslauriers describes her own look as “streetwear meets grunge,” an amalgam that also inspires looks she creates for publications such as LOULOU and Dazed & Confused. On the shopping front, it means frequent trips to the Westmount boutique TNT. “[The two stores] always have coolest brands and nicest kicks!”
R13 vest, T by Alexander Wang shirt, JBrand jeans from TNT (www.tntfashion.ca). Surface to Air belt (www.surfacetoair.com). Zara shoes (www.zara.com).
The advocate
“Ninety per cent of my wardrobe is by local designers,” says Azamit, the Eritrea-born model and stylist. “I must be the most supportive person to Montreal talents.” Indeed, Azamit is the founder of Souk@ SAT, a holiday-shopping bazaar featuring local artists; currently in its 11th year, it is running through Sunday at the Society for Arts and Technology. “It’s gratifying to see how my humble event has become an artist launch pad over the years by offering a platform for quality Montreal design.”
UNTTLD coat (www.unttld.ca). Denis Gagnon dress (www.denisgagnon.com). Madonna’s Truth or Dare collection boots from Little Burgundy (www.littleburgundyshoes.com). Harakiri Design earrings, bracelets and ring (www.harakiridesign.com).
Photographer Anouk Lessard is represented by L’É LOI (leloi.ca). Makeup and hair by Julie Cusson for Chanel (www.chanel.com).
Other hot ’hoods
Montreal’s Mile End may be an epicentre of cool at the moment, but it isn’t the city’s only hip district. Here are three more areas with style to spare.
Despite the growing number of It-’hood contenders, including neighbouring Mile End, Plateau Mont-Royal, long a hipster haven, retains its creative edge. Located north of downtown and east of its namesake mountain, the Plateau boasts one of the largest concentrations of artists in the country, hosts a number of top designers (men’s-wear maestro Philippe Dubuc’s boutique is here) and attracts both foodies and drink connoisseurs (Big in Japan, on St. Laurent Boulevard, has an awesome sake list). Until Jan. 4, the area is also the subject of an exhibition, Lives and Times of the Plateau, at Pointe-à-Callière, Montreal’s museum of archaeology and history (www.pacmusee.qc.ca).
Bordered by the Lachine Canal to the south and St. Antoine Street West to the north, Little Burgundy used to be known for its rail yards and its jazz clubs (a large number of Montreal’s black citizens lived here, including future Governor General Michaëlle Jean). Today, the rapidly gentrifying neighbourhood is a hotbed of acclaimed restos (including Joe Beef), cutting-edge record labels (British-based Ninja Tune set up its North American branch in LB ) and art galleries (check out Parisian Laundry). The district’s main artery is Notre Dame Street West. Landmark Atwater Market anchors its eastern edge.
The newest kid on the cooler-than-thou block, gritty Griffintown, a former Irish enclave, is just west of – but a world away from – tourist-filled Old Montreal. Here, it’s indie cafes and shops that are more common than not (Brasseurs de Montreal Inc., a microbrewery and pub, is a local favourite, while Voskins Lunetteria Griffintown, an eyewear boutique on Notre Dame West, sells frames made mostly by independent brands). Earlier this year, an AL T Hotel opened on Peel Street, and new condo developments are in the works. Clearly, The Griff, as the neighbourhood is popularly known, is on a roll. – Staff