On April 22-23, the Grand Quay of the Port of Montreal was the venue for the first Première Vision trade fair in Canada, and many representatives of the fur trade turned up to lend their support. While Première Vision Montreal covered all aspects of the fashion trade, the city plays a major role in the country’s fur trade, making the presence of these representatives indispensable.
We are particularly appreciative of the efforts of two men who played key roles in positioning fur prominently in this iconic fair’s first visit to Canada: Mathieu St-Arnaud Lavoie, Executive Director of Mmode and Montreal Fashion Week, and Mitch Fazekas, proprietor of local furrier Mitchie’s Matchings.
Strong support also came from other representatives of the fur trade, notably the Fur Institute of Canada (FIC), Canadian Seal Products, Canada Mink Breeders Association (CMBA), Saga Furs, Natural Furs International / FURB upcycled, Créations Gama, and Écofaune boréale.
SEE ALSO: Fashion students pumped at Montreal Fur Rendezvous. Truth About Fur.
So What Is Première Vision?
Première Vision was founded in 1973 in Lyon, France, by a group of professionals from the silk industry, for which the city has long been renowned. Still headquartered in Lyon today, it is now wholly owned by GL events.
It approaches an event by first identifying a sector of the fashion trade. This is typically geographical – Première Vision Paris is its main event, but it has also hosted Made In France Première Vision, Première Vision New York, and now Première Vision Montreal. Alternatively, it may focus on other aspects, such as Denim Première Vision and Blossom Première Vision, the latter being dedicated to pre-collections of high-end, luxury and creative fashion brands.
It then takes a holistic approach to meet the needs of every player in that sector, promoting collaboration while facilitating the creation of cutting-edge fashion collections. This involves bringing suppliers, designers, creatives and other industry professionals together under one roof, while highlighting the latest trends in colours, fabrics and innovative solutions.
“I’d Call That a Success!”
One of the fair’s many happy participants was Rob Bollert, Vice President of the CMBA.
“We had a steady flow of traffic to our booth, enabling us to showcase the high standards of animal care on Canadian mink farms – a reality that is widely misrepresented by anti-fur activists,” he said. “We also explained our robust welfare assurance program, Certifur. I’d call that a success!”
“In particular, we had a lot of visits from students at local fashion schools who had come to attend the fair’s impressive range of seminars,” he continued. “As one would expect, given the current fashion trend, many were intrigued with vintage furs. That’s not strictly our line of business, but it did allow us to showcase the longevity and sustainability of our product.”
Panel Discussion
Also offered at the Montreal fair were two days of seminars and panel discussions in English and French – 24 in all – covering such diverse topics as “Financing fashion: Grants and opportunities for Quebec designers” and “Fashion weeks: A launchpad for designers and the industry”.
Of particular interest to fur fans was a panel discussion entitled “Fur: A new day for a traditional fabric”. Moderator Marine Savard of Mmode was joined by Julio Suarez Christiansen of Saga Furs, Christina Nacos of Natural Furs International and FURB upcycled, and Gabrielle Mailhot-Côté of Créations Gama.
The panel explored the recent resurgence in fur’s popularity as manufacturers, retailers and consumers increasingly recognise it as a sustainable choice.
