MMFA 2019: Montreal Couture

Denis Gagnon

Denis Gagnon

MONTREAL COUTURE
10 contemporary Quebec fashion designers 

March 2 - September 8, 2019

The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (MMFA) is showcasing Quebec fashion by bringing into focus for the first time creations of 10 local designers who define current Quebec fashion. These both established and emerging artists have very different and distinctive styles: Philippe Dubuc, Denis Gagnon, Ying Gao, Helmer Joseph, Nathon Kong, Marie-Ève Lecavalier, MARKANTOINE, Fecal Matter, Atelier New Regime and Marie Saint Pierre.

Not necessarily intended to be worn, quite a few of the exhibited pieces are simply artistic, design concepts to be admired and used to stimulates ideas for future fashion creations.

Denis Gagnon (see images at the top of the article) blew through the Quebec scene at the beginning of the 2000 with his irreverent style and spectacular pieces characterized by a sophisticated use of volumes, pleats, leather and zippers. In 2010, the MMFA dedicated an exhibition to him. It followed the 2008 Yves Saint Laurent exhibition and preceded The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier in 2011.

Marie Saint Pierre

Phiippe Dubuc

For more than thirty years, Marie Saint Pierre, the first fashion designer admitted to the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts, has created clothing with precise and timeless cuts, marrying form and function

Since 1994, Philippe Dubuc has reinvented the men's wardrobe with minimalist, modern lines, meticulous finishing and embossed materials.

Marie-Ève Lecavalier

Marie-Ève Lecavalier

Nathalie Bondil, MMFA's Director General and Chief Curator, explained what inspired this exhibition:

"This exhibition is a tip of the hat to Quebec fashion. It was born at last fall’s Museum Ball, NUIT COUTURE where dramatic installations paid tribute to Quebec fashion designers. Some were known to me, others were a revelation, but all amazed me with their talent ... these designers, established or emerging, experimental or international, were all notable for the quality of their output and the audacity of their inspiration. How could I ignore this opportunity to show off the couture created in our local ateliers? I have tremendous respect for these demanding métiers and the people who excel at them ... right in our own back yard." 

Markantoine

Markantoine

The exhibition also highlights the work  Ying Gao, whose work encompasses fashion, industrial design and robotics. She explores the use of new materials, such as medical latex, and interactive sensory technology that terns a garment into a participative piece.  Her creations were exhibited in the world’s major museums. 

Ying Gao

Ying Gao

Click on images to enlarge them.

Montreal Couture exhibition is presented in conjunction with the retrospective Thierry Mugler: Couturissime exhibition.

For more information about the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts exhibitions and activities, visit the museum's website.