Montreal Fashion Week

I'm in Montreal instead of going to school like everyone else, and I couldn't be happier. Instead of worrying about senior year issues, I'm surrounded by this unique culture of French-Canadians that includes an obsession with art and fashion. And luckily, I happened to be in this city right when Montreal Fashion Week is happening. And no, it's nothing like New York's, London's, Paris's, or Milan's where you have to be important enough to get invited to fashion shows. In Canada, their fashion weeks are more open to the public. It all takes place in just a few squares of Montreal, and only about five shows happen each day, all in the evening. They're all outdoors, and people can just show up to the shows to watch, or even take photos with professional cameras (like I did!). Yes, there were still areas that only photographers with passes could get into, but other than that, it was definitely a very public-friendly event. Of course, I took this open (and free!) opportunity to get close to the stage and take photos of the shows. It has always been my dream to attend, and even better, photograph a fashion show, and my dream finally came true. Maybe it wasn't Roberto Cavalli or Valentino, but the show was just as legitimate as any other fashion show. The main show I saw was for the Joncas twins, these two Canadian designers who have only made it to events like the Canadian fashion weeks. Although they weren't extremely well-known, that did not stop the show from being amazing.

Filled with asymmetrical layers, dreamy colors, and drapey fabrics, this collection may be what gets the twins more recognition.

Each outfit was unique with its color scheme and specific aesthetic, but they all unified with the same, draped material and chunky heels. Yet, isn't that how all fashion collections are? I guess I never truly realized it until I was able to see one in person.

This was definitely a good show to start out with because it still had the universal fashion show setup, but it wasn't as overwhelming as other huge fashion shows would be like. It would be amazing to see Anna Wintour and Alexa Chung sitting a few rows in front of you, but that time will come later.

More Joncas Twins photos:

                       

Before this show, I saw another less formal one at a different stage, which was a collaboration of multiple designers I couldn't get the names of. I wasn't able to get a good spot (and of course I left my zoom lens at home), so I couldn't get any decent photos of the actual show. But because of the "informality" of it all, the models came out after the show, so I could take a few candids of them closeup. 

Another cool thing about this experience is that photographers were everywhere taking photos of everyone, including yourself if you had the right look. I did see a few people taking photos of me, and even if they kept talking to me in French like I knew the language perfectly, I just nodded and smiled, because not everyday are people going to take photos of your outfit.

To be honest, it was one of the best experiences of my life, and it confirmed that working in this industry is still my dream. Maybe it wasn't anything like the huge shows in New York or Paris, but at least it was something, and maybe it's the first step to many more shows to come.