Marie Saint Pierre: The style patriot
Marie Saint Pierre, who was appointed to the Order of Canada in 2012, has been going her own way ever since she started her fashion business nearly 30 years ago. Moving to New York, Paris or Milan was not for her. Instead, she remained in Montreal, kept there by ties to family and her love for the city. “It hasn’t been easy because there is no natural path for a designer to follow in Canada,” says the 55-year-old. “But I’ve managed to make my way.”
Known for clothes made with natural fabrics, a simple colour palette and sculptural lines, Saint Pierre prefers to call her collections “timeless” rather than classic. A pair of emerald-green cigarette pants could have walked straight off the set of Mad Men, while a midnight-blue coat falls in an exaggerated loose curve over the hips, at once sensual and a statement. “Women aren’t static,” she says. “We don’t stand there like statues; we move. My brand is extremely personal, but it is informed by the world at large.”
Last November, Saint Pierre, who grew up surrounded by the artist friends of her parents, including Jean-Paul Riopelle, continued to forge her singular path by opening her first U.S. boutique in Miami, where she can tap into an international clientele. The American market is notoriously hard to break into, she says, and she wanted to do so on her own terms in a clean, spare space that she loves. As for the future, she will continue to expand at her own pace, always with her family, customers and staff in mind. At the same time, she wishes that the industry itself would slow down. “Racing to produce a collection six months in advance of a Fashion Week or producing less-expensive lines to satisfy consumer demand takes its toll,” she says. “We have to think about what our values are and what a brand represents. We need to be smart about producing goods while creating a positive, energetic workplace. And we have to give back to our communities, to the environment and to people in need. That is the most important value of all.” Lisa Fitterman