An Electric and dazzling program to celebrate Festival Mode & Design’s 15th anniversary

From August 17 to 22, Festival Mode & Design (FMD) is going all out to celebrate its 15th anniversary! This special edition will surely entertain with its share of colour, creativity and discoveries. Located for the second year in the heart of the Quartier des Spectacles, FMD, which celebrates and brings together every aspect of fashion and design, is opening up to the world more than ever, welcoming renown guests from Quebec, the U.S. and Europe.

The audacious FMD has a mission to entertain and help visitors discover the creative worlds of fashion and design. Everyone is invited to attend, free of charge, open-air shows at the Quartier des Spectacles. The most important event of its kind in America, FMD manages to bring together each year all players in the sector: 500,000 festival-goers, over ten major brands and close to 75 artists and designers, in addition to fashion schools, distributors and influencers. The event is unique in showcasing a large proportion of local talent.

The impressive 2015 line-up includes nine segments, each of which has many themes.

FMD FASHION
This year, the theme of celebration, sharing and diversity will be surrounding FMD's main segment. The Festival will showcase the talent and creativity of major brands from Quebec and abroad, focusing on fashion shows featuring the public’s favourite retailers, which are central to FMD. Year after year, the big brands always dazzle, charm and entertain:

Dynamite, La Vie en Rose, Alton Gray, Forever 21, Le Château, Guess, Ardène, Antoine Laoun, Place Ville Marie, Essilor

Outdoor fashion shows by local designers will also be presented to the general public:

• Montréal Créatif: local fashion, presented by the Montreal Fashion Bureau with Fashion Preview, Ethik BGC and Fibres Collectives, which will feature inspiring creations by over 25 designers.
• The daring MDM (Mode Musique Design) series will transport us each night into the creative world of an emerging designer. WRKDEPT, Atelier Wonder, Joncas and Lafaille will present their designs to live music presented by Saintwoods and video design by MASSIVart.
• INSTA-GLAM by Jason: Curated by artistic director and designer Jason Noël, this runway show will introduce some of Montréal's best men's fashion designers.

The Special FMD Events will feature two large-scale fashion shows, specifically created by Groupe Sensation Mode in an eclectic and cosmopolitan style:

• Génération Z: a fully immersive fashion event, presented by LaSalle College. The show invites all Gen Zers to gather and celebrate at a happening inspired by the creative worlds of this emerging and exciting generation.
• Numéro 15: this big party, the closing event at FMD, will be a nod to the 15 years of the Festival. A concept event that will offer a fusion of styles, cultures, fashion and technology embodying a world of communication without borders!

The next generation is forever central to FMD:

• The Cegep Marie Victorin Fashion School will present the collection by the graduates of 2015.
• Expose by Télio: to be shown over three nights, some of the finalists from this celebrated national fashion design competition will present pieces from their latest collections.
• Designer Tricia Crivellaro will present a show on the M.A.D. Stage
• Challenge 12: every day, emerging designers and stylists take on the challenge of creating a piece of wearable art, an original idea from IMPAIR, in collaboration with Télio.

Back by popular demand, FMD will present four fashion shows developed by your favourite bloggers: Hey Dahye, Le Cahier, The Montreal Fashion Society and Fashion is Everywhere.

True to its roots, FMD celebrates diversity in all its many forms, this time with:

• COOLKOALA, DYDH, Kitch’n Swell and Collectif Verge.
• The Sein(s) photo exhibit will link fashion in a positive way to women touched by breast cancer with illustrations by cartoonist Lili Sohn.

FMD DESIGN
The design segment is growing this year, becoming one of the main attractions at FMD. Multidisciplinary designer Jean-Claude Poitras, this segment’s curator, promises fascinating encounters to help discover designers and artistic trends.

• Wood, design material of choice: in 2013, Festival Mode & Design made Québec lumber its design material of choice, in collaboration with the Québec Forest Industry Council. To mark the third year of this partnership, many of FMD’s facilities will be made out of wood: stages for shows, terraces, VIP space and accommodations, all highlighting the beauty of wood.
• Lifestyle Competition - Parklets: second-year students in Environmental Design from UQAM's School of Design have taken on the challenge to create, from Québec tree families, a “parklet,” a piece of urban furniture to be used as a meeting and relaxation area for all. Out of the 40 student projects, two have been chosen and developed. They will be integrated into the FMD site and the general public will be able to vote for their favourite parklet.
• Coop Établi, a group of designers and manufacturers, will display their outdoor furniture.
• A number of POP-UP Shops will showcase local designers.
• Conferences on the subject of design will be led by prominent speakers.
• In collaboration with the Conseil des métiers d’art du Quebec (CMAQ), Jean-Claude Poitras, curator of FMD Design, will present his favourite design pieces.

FMD BEAUTY
Throughout FMD, popular beauty activities, organized in collaboration with P&G Beauty, will allow festival-goers to learn about make-up trends seen on the biggest runways.

The Open Backstage will welcome visitors throughout the Festival. The general public will be able to watch as models get their hair and makeup done.

Makeup touch-ups and a photo booth are available from Cover-Girl, plus a Pantene Expert “braid bar” and an Olay hydration booth will all be open to festival-goers.

FMD COLLECTIONS in collaboration with P&G Beauty
To celebrate their 35th anniversary, Clin d’oeil magazine will be a partner in the 100% local programming of FMD’s opening night.

Back for a second year, FMD Collections, in collaboration with P&G Beauty, will present the creations of three Canadian designers. To celebrate FMD’s 15th anniversary, this major collective runway show, curated by legendary British milliner Stephen Jones, will be open to the general public and presented outdoors on the Casino de Montréal Runway at the Quartier des spectacles. This prestigious event will showcase the diversity of creations by:

• Harricana par Marlouche
• Bodybag by Jude
• Hip & Bone

The show will also see the start of an artistic encounter between aerial singer APigeon and New York artist Scooter Laforge, who will also present an exhibition at Galerie MX from August 19-31.

From the designs presented at FMD collections, Jean-Claude Poitras will choose a piece that will become part of the collection at the Museum of Costume and Textile of Québec.

FMD CONFERENCES in collaboration with Destination Centre-Ville
This very popular segment of FMD, with Stephane Le Duc as commissioner and MC, will host 15 conferences this year with distinguished guests from Quebec, the U.S. and Europe. FMD Conferences will be held at the Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal. The number of places is limited and tickets are on sale on the FMD site (in collaboration with LaVitrine.com).

FMD MUSIC
Music is at the heart of FMD’s unique ambiance.

• Fashion Music Happy Hour in collaboration with Virgin Radio: every night, athletes play DJ, accompanied by Melt MTL. Joannie Rochette, Charles Hamelin and many others will be on hand.
• Musical performances all week: Laurence Nerbonne, Charles Cozy of Melt MTL, Pieter Oliver, Iris Campo, Qualité Motel, APigeon, Ryan Playground, Wyln, DA-P, Robert Robert, Lost Heroes and our friends from Lunch Beat and Piknic Electronik.
• Piknic Electronik @ FMD: FMD’s scouting team and fashion trucks will arrive at Piknic Electronic on August 9 to find 20 of the most stylish piknickers. The winners will walk down the FMD runway as Piknic will play the best beats and gets the audience dancing.
• Lunch beat: for those of you tired of eating lunch in front of the computer, help is on the way with Lunch Beat and their DJs and food trucks!

FMD SHOPPING

Calling all shopaholics: you won’t know where to look! FMD has enhanced its program just for you:

• 24 fashion and design POP-UP Shops will offer the opportunity to discover and buy local designer creations: Afro Chic, allTRUEist, Atelier SYP, Casablank, Chic Marie, Christine Bijoux, Enzo kay, Ethik BGC, Fay with Love, My Addikt, Pilote et Filles, Procure, Schwiing, Stefanka Lingerie, Zaän, Alice in Montreal, Atelier Ében, Baltic Club, Garçon Fleur, L’Auberge du Chocolat, Le Cartel et Maison 630. In addition, there will be a few brands from Village des Créateurs de Lyon (Blue Mustach, Marie-Antoilette, FST Hand wear) with whom the festival is developing strongs ties!
• 4 fashion trucks on hand every day at FMD: Nomad, La Montrealaise Atelier, OldWIG and Coven. They will take advantage of all being in one place to launch their Fashion Truck Montreal Facebook page.
• The OldWIG crystal ball: festival goers will “swim” across more than 1,000 pieces of clothing to find the prize offered by the Montreal fashion trucks.

FMD CINEMA
At the FMD pre-opening, from August 14 to 16, Cinéma du Parc will showcase films on fashion:
L’AMOUR FOU (EST), BILL CUNNINGHAM NYC, IRIS, VALENTINO THE LAST EMPEROR (FST) AND DIOR AND I (FST).

LUNCH & FASHION
Every day at lunch time, festival-goers can watch and participate in highly entertaining activities, including:

• The Stiletto Race for Le Chaînon, in collaboration with Rouge FM and Montréal Pride. FMD’s kick-off event, held this year with the drag-queens of Montréal Pride! A 200-metre relay and obstacle race with acting ambassador Julie du Page.
• Vibe Pilates: an outdoor pilates session with Valerie Raby.

Festival-goers will also be able to take advantage of a host of daily activities: exhibits, live artistic performances, activities for the little ones, draws, contests, sampling, networking event, photo booths, as well as workshops and conferences by Me, Myself and Montreal.

Genevieve Borne: FMD spokesperson for the seventh year in a row
Genevieve Borne and the FMD have renewed their partnership for the seventh year. "Each year, the Festival greets all those who wish to celebrate their love of design, fashion and music in the heart of Montreal! It’s the opportunity to attend major shows, discover new trends in design and make new musical discoveries. It’s also a chance to meet the big names in the fashion world who come to share with us, at our conferences, their passion for their work and the secrets behind their wonderful achievements. FMD is a must-attend event for lovers of design, fashion and music who enjoy celebrating outdoors, in the heart of the city."

Photo by Agnieszka S.