Tuesday, June 23, 2015

FASHION EVENTS - MONTREAL

Press Release

FMD CONFERENCES
RETURNS FULL FORCE

Photos courtesy of FMD, Stephen Jones, Marc-Antoine Coulon, fashiontribes.typepad.com



Montréal, Quebec – FMD Conferences, in collaboration with Destination Centre-Ville, returns full force, with a program featuring movers-and-shakers and experts who have made a name for themselves in their field. This get-together will include the largest lineup ever of internationally renowned speakers from the world of fashion and design. The public is invited to attend the presentations, which will run from August 17 to 21 at the Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal as part of the 15th anniversary of the Fashion & Design Festival (FMD).

“We are particularly proud of the FMD Conferences program, which will include more international influencers than ever before,” says event co-founder Chantal Durivage. “After an initial amazing experience, FMD Conferences decided to take off in style this year and to present more than a dozen personalities whose stories are sure to inspire and tweak the imagination.”

Stéphane Le Duc will return as the MC and will also serve as the commissioner of FMD Conferences. An avid follower of the fashion sector, he carefully selected these key players in the world of fashion and design to be part of this great event. Mr. Le Duc is widely known, having worked more than 25 years as a TV host, producer and reporter about fashion and culture. We have him to thank for Perfecto, a show aired in 28 French-speaking countries. “It will be a real pleasure for me to host these presentations,” he says. “I hope to share with the public the high regard in which I hold these outstanding guests.”



Photo courtesy of FMD (Click to enlarge)



A rich and varied program

FMD Conferences will take place at the Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal. Most of the presentations will be followed by a meet and greet and an autograph session with the speaker. Festival-goers will have the opportunity to hear and meet the following individuals:

· STEPHEN JONES / London: considered the top milliner in the world. He revolutionized the art of millinery, the design of hats and headwear, and contributed to fashion shows by famous designers such as Marc Jacobs, Balenciaga, John Galliano, Christian Dior and Vivienne Westwood. London’s Victoria & Albert Museum dedicated an exhibition to him in 2009.

· PATRICIA FIELD / New York: stylist and designer. She revived the interest for fashion on TV and the big screen as the stylist for Sex and the City and The Devil Wears Prada. The boutique she has owned in New York since 1966 has become a sought-after international destination.

· VINCENT LERET / Paris: Art historian and archeologist. Since 2010, he has been in charge of heritage at Christian Dior Parfums. He has written several books about Christian Dior, including Dior : les parfums, published in 2014.



One of the looks created by Patricia Field for Sex and The City (Photo courtesy of amsterdam-ftv-blog.com)



· PETER SIMONS / Quebec: CEO of La Maison Simons, a Quebec company that has been active in the garment sector since 1830. La Maison Simons currently has a network of seven shops and close to 2,000 employees.

· JEAN-FRANÇOIS FULLUM / Boston: Director, Research and Development at New Balance. He is the one who brought us the legendary RC 5000 model, the lightest running shoe in the world, weighing a mere 175 grams a pair.

· JACQUES NANTEL / Montréal: professor at HEC Montréal since 1981 and recognized expert in marketing and e-commerce. He will give a presentation on fashion retail and its new technologies.

· THIERRY LANGLAIS / New York / Paris: strategist and expert in marketing trends, VP Operations for Première Vision Paris, the number one event for fashion professionals.

· ADAM KATZ SINDING / New York: blogger and photojournalist, contributor to Harper’s Bazaar and Flare. His blog, Le 21ème, is dedicated to the latest news in international fashion. Fresh out of a creation residency at FMD, he will present his vision of Montréal’s “street style.”

· MARC-ANTOINE COULON / Paris: fashion illustrator. Self-taught, he made his name with illustrations for Vogue, L’Officiel Paris, Madame Figaro, Palace Costes and major international brands. He is involved in several personal projects, including a tribute exhibition to Yves Saint Laurent.



Fashion illustration courtesy of Marc-Antoine Coulon



· SCOOTER LAFORGE / New York: artist and painter, known for his work at Barneys New York, Dover Street Market and Hotel Drake. A collaborator of Patricia Field’s, he designed a clothing line for her boutique.

· COMMERCE DESIGN MONTRÉAL / Montréal: Stéphane Rasselet of _naturehumaine architecture & design, Gilles Saucier of Saucier + Perrotte Architectes, Alexandre Blazys and Benoit Gérard of blazysgérard, winners of the 2015 edition of the Commerce Design Montréal awards, will take part in a round table on creativity in Montréal and the design of fashion boutiques with Jean-Pierre Généreux, VP, Brand and Concept Development, ALDO.

· ISABELLE GLEIZE / Lyon: General Manager of Village des Créateurs de Lyon. She is currently managing 70 new fashion and design brands. Since its creation in 2003, Village des Créateurs has supported 200 young brands, 65% of which are still in operation.


This gathering of major fashion and design influencers has been made possible thanks to Destination Centre-Ville, proud collaborator of FMD Conferences. “We take at heart the success of Montreal's downtown area and we believe that these distinguished guests will become outstanding ambassadors on an international scope and will be able to share their expertise at large. We are delighted to contribute to the expansion of these conferences”, says Mr. André Poulin, Executive Director of Destination Centre-Ville.



Design by Stephen Jones  (Photo courtesy of the designer)



To attend the conferences

The public can purchase tickets at www.festivalmodedesign.com, thanks to the support of La Vitrine, a cultural ticket office working in partnership with FMD Conferences. The price of admission ranges from $15 to $35 (plus taxes and service fees). In addition, for $100 (plus taxes and fees) festival-goers will be able to buy a passport that will give them access to all of the presentations. Quantities are limited. Some conferences will be in French and some in English.


About the Fashion & Design Festival

The Fashion & Design Festival (FMD) is a grand annual celebration of creativity in downtown Montréal. This unique event offers a diverse program, including fashion shows, multidisciplinary shows, live art installations, musical performances and real-time design. Over four days and four nights, close to 50 shows will be presented, featuring renowned Canadian designers and leading names in international fashion. Makeup artists, hairdressers, stylists, models and musicians will all contribute to FMD's ambience. An authentic platform of fashion, design, music and shopping trends, this event was created and is produced by Groupe Sensation Mode, the biggest of its kind in North America. For more information, visit www.festivalmodedesign.com.


About Groupe Sensation Mode (GSM)

After 15 years of many activities, Groupe Sensation Mode (GSM) continues to produce and host major fashion and design events in Canada and abroad. Best known for producing prestigious annual events like Montreal Fashion Week and the Fashion & Design Festival, GSM has also created unique concepts, such as Fashion Theatre (on the stages of Berlin, Tokyo, New York and London) and the Fashion & Opera Runway Show in Los Angeles. For 15 years, GSM's innovative events have served as a showcase for designer talent and major brands. Through partnerships in some of the world's fashion capitals — like New York, Los Angeles, Paris, London, Berlin and Tokyo — Group Sensation Mode is proud to carve out a place for itself among North America's fashion and design leaders.





See you in Montreal!


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