STYLES OF THE SEASON
Grande Braderie offers opportunity for a refresh
Need to hit the refresh button on your spring wardrobe?
Held twice a year, La Grande Braderie de mode québécoise offers up the wares of dozens of Quebec designers, displayed over four days across the three floors of Marché Bonsecours in Old Montreal.
For nearly a quarter-century, the Braderie has been a win-win for both labels and clients: the sale clears out sample sizes and excess inventory, and fashion fans get local, high-end clothing, accessories, jewelry and lingerie with discounts of 50 to 80 per cent off.
But with growing demand and a planned Braderie expansion to Toronto, some labels have taken to producing merchandise for the event itself, according to show producer Anne de Shalla. Many now reach out to her first.
Spring is usually a time to swap sombre shades for pastels and florals. The key word: lightness.
“We’re tired of winter; we want to take off our layers,” de Shalla explained over the phone from Gatineau, where the first Braderie of the season was held last week.
She expects 35,000 to 45,000 shoppers to pack into the Marché for the sale.
De Shalla doesn’t deny that navigating dozens of labels alongside thousands of other fashion mavens can be overwhelming, but she maintains it’s a necessary step: “I want people to get lost and discover designers.” Here’s a preview of some of the labels de Shalla is most thrilled to see at the Braderie this spring.
NEW FACES TOVA
Tova serves up colourful and playful costume jewelry, all made in Canada. Michelle Luterman Alfonso founded the line in 2000 with just a small boutique, and sales have grown internationally since, with one fan walking the Oscar red carpet with a glitzy pair of danglers last month. Luterman Alfonso works with a variety of mediums, from Swarovski gems to enamel to tassels. Check out the dripping, multi-chain necklace or the dangling Ava chandelier earrings from the Crystal Clear collection. This is also your opportunity to jump on the tassel trend that has led to colourful clusters of thread sprouting from earlobes everywhere.
LOVE & BEYOND
De Shalla introduces lingerie to the Braderie with newly arrived, body-positive local label Love & Beyond, founded by Judithe Bourgeois. Within its initial capsule collection, you’ll find dreamy bralettes, those delicate and of-the-moment lingerie tops, in shades of baby blue, black and white, and flattering bottoms to pair them with. (Oh, and their packaging is made from recycled material.)
JUSTEROBE
The women behind Brossardbased JusteRobe started out with a lofty but straightforward goal: perfecting the little black dress to go from work to play — and to make it machine-washable. Friends and working mothers Valérie Apollon and Stéfanie Gosselin’s first collection offered three dress styles, all in black and each flexible to different body types. “It’s very fun, sexy and classic,” said de Shalla. JusteRobe has since added red as a shade, and a fourth style with a boat neck and longer sleeves.
LES COCONUTS
I know — Les CocoNuts is a skin-care line, not a fashion label. But with a renewed interest in skin care thanks to the selfcare movement, a healthy glow is the perfect accessory to a stunning outfit. Founder and mother of three Sarah Carey started by seeking out a natural deodorant, but ended up making and testing her own. The St-Bruno business now offers up several lines besides its lightly scented coconut oil deodorant, including lip balms, hand and body washes, and sugar and salt scrubs with scents of grapefruit and coffee.
VETERANS CANADIAN HAT
After a short break from the Braderie, designer Mariouche Gagné is back, but under a different name. She first made her mark at the helm of Harricana, a line that recycled fur, largely sourced from Quebec, into stylish jackets, shoes and accessories. Then in early 2017, Gagné joined Montreal milliner Canadian Hat as artistic director. The venerable business started out 100 years ago under the name Leopold & Leopold and eventually gained an international clientele. With Gagné on board, the goal is to create comfortable, structured hats (with fur trimmings, of course) for all seasons. Some of her creations include felt caps with playful fur pompoms and, for fancier occasions, elegant trilby hats in fur felt.
KOLLONTAÏ
Designer Gabrielle Tousignant is celebrating 20 years with her label. Named for a Russian feminist thinker, the atelier focuses on quality, robust patterns and surprising cuts, and not necessarily being on trend. Black, red, white and grey play roles in this collection of patterned dresses and iconic, practical tunics. A sheer black blouse with sleeves that puff just below the wrist makes for quite the office or party confection.
EVE GRAVEL
Pale shades of pink and blue, loose forms and delicate patterns: Eve Gravel’s Braderie offering will be fresh yet minimalist. There’s the quirky Shotgun Wedding, a periwinkle-blue sleeveless shirt dress, with pockets and delicate cut-outs near the shoulder. And the pink Paper Planes jumpsuit has a round neckline and billowing, knee-length pant legs. Founded in 2002, the Mile End label is sold across Canada, Japan and the United States.
MUSE PAR CHRISTIAN CHENAIL
Then there’s the established Christian Chenail, the architectturned-designer who opened his first Montreal boutique on St-Denis St. in 1993. Chenail’s esthetic is clean and modern, with touches of colour. His fall/winter collection had a gladiatorial feel to it, with cross-body leather straps, but also featured whimsical touches, like an oversized furry red sweater. De Shalla praised his structural jackets as a sartorial yet fun choice for office attire. Especially with the high-low trend at work: pairing a stylized, finished jacket with a simple T-shirt and jeans.