Montreal Fashion Week: The dispatch from day two including Martin Lim, Eve Gravel, and more!
How to survive Montreal Fashion Week? A roll of Mentos; it’s like breath-freshening gum that you can swallow. And breathe! I don’t mean simply inhale, but breathe in the moment. Season after season as I watch the evolution of designers maturing with each collection, I feel like I’m learning and growing too.
First up on day two, Second Clothing. Love them. Always have. Always will. I just came back from South America and I swear the soft, stretchy Yoga Jeans are my go-to pants for travel. I might add that they were pretty stylin’ on the urban streets of Buenos Aires. Meetings prevented me from going to their Denim Clinic at the Marché Bonsecours, but I’ve seen the new colours and styles. Must investigate further.
I did make it to Martin Lim. Sitting next to me was party planner Dick Walsh. Together, we ohh-ed and ahh-ed over shift dresses inspired by contemporary artist Daniel Buren whose use of bold stripes was interpreted into wispy strips that fluttered in each model’s wake—not to mention loose silk leggings that got their weathered look from washing and then washing again. I overheard a reference to the Roman-cheerleader getup Madonna wore to the Super Bowl, but this was much more delicate and feminine, and in a pop-out palette of mauve, fuchsia, teal, and coral. The finale was a sultry white number, which was cut from a single piece of fabric. Made only to measure, the stunner can be worn as a bridal dress or otherwise.
Closing the night was Eve Gravel, a designer I feel exemplifies our city’s young urban professional down to a tee. This season Gravel took a Canadiana twist with fur accents over perky little vests, jackets, tops, and dresses. The collection was mainly muted tones, the classic red-and-white lumberjack check replaced by more refined black-and-white windowpane pattern.
