The Evolution of the Festival Mode & Design

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The festival started with a little idea from co-founders, Chantal Durivage and Jean-François Daviau. The first edition was held on Saint-Laurent Boulevard and was in collaboration with Montreal Grand Prix. After taking its independence, the FMD moved to McGill College Avenue and last year, it moved to the Quartier des spectacles.
The vision was to unite people around fashion and design. Chantal and Jean-François wanted to share it with the public because they loved the visual, beauty and expression of the mix of fashion and design.

The rise of social media has been interesting for the FMD where people started sharing the news and content of the festival. It became a tribe of fashion and design where people dress up to come to the festival. “When people feel comfortable, they are able to express themselves and fashion and design is an expression,” says Chantal Durivage who is happy that people have followed them through their moves. She believes it’s a statement that fashion and design are now in a cultural place such as the Quartier des spectacles where the entertainments around the beauty of things are. The installations and the teams have grown.

The FMD worked closely with the commissioner of the FMD Conferences, Stéphane Le Duc. They wanted to see how people could feel attracted to the conferences. “It meant creating a program that would interest the public, the industry and show the spectrum of what’s happening in fashion and design,” explains Chantal. Patricia Fields from Sex and the City would attract the public, as well as Vincent Leret, a historian from Dior since the brand is well known. Peter Simons from a Quebecor industry and Jacques Nantel, an expert.

Chantal hopes this 15th edition will be unifying, festive and appropriated by everyone in their own way. “At 15, we become a teenager so what do I do now and where do I go now? We answered these questions, our vision is clear and we need to put it to good use and build upon the vision’s results,” she adds.

Local talent needs to be showcased since the public wants to see what is done here. The pop-up shops and fashion trucks will showed some of those talents between August 19 and 22 at the Quartier des spectacles.