Puces POP’s fashion show is coming back this fall, and it wants you to show off your stuff - providing you are an up-and-coming Montreal based fashion designer.

Fashion POP is on the hunt for all you Jeremy Laings and Raf Simons in training to present a 6-look mini-collection to a panel of industry judges. You can win a cash prize and a spread in our very own WORN Fashion Journal (check out last year’s winner Norwegian Wood in issue 10). The fashion show will go down on September 29th to kick off the festival.

You have until August 1st to e-mail a short bio, description of your collection and a minimum of 3 photos of your work to marilis @ popmontreal.com. Good luck!

When that little angel of a Wornette, Carmen, e-mailed me about attending the Fashion Pop Montreal event as a WORN correspondent, my level of giddiness was too high to even try to contain. I gave up all hope of pretending to be accustomed to the idea of having my name on a seat at the front row of a fashion show and gave into the dorky side of me who never leaves the house. I really couldn’t believe I was being offered the chance to write for the WORN blog again.

Showing up at the event was totally intimidating at first. Being someone who has lived in Montreal my entire life and still doesn’t know anyone makes events like these sort of scary, but once I got to my seat and snuck – really, I was so sneaky about it – a bad picture of my reserved seat, I sat down ready to take in all the glorious designs.

Normally when I see collections I sort of end up skipping over the pieces that I couldn’t see myself wearing. Anything that feels modern or less feminine than I prefer often gets overlooked while I ooh and aah over the pieces with bows, gingham, or peter pan collars. But this time I wasn’t looking for pieces I would wear – though that isn’t to say I didn’t see several I wanted to run home with – I was looking in awe at the talent all of these girls have! I’ve been so obsessed lately with the idea of creative lifestyles, and the fact that all six of these local designers are making a living doing what they love to do made this show all the more inspiring to me.

The winner of the evening was Angie Johnson of Norwegian Wood, a designer I fully admit to internet-stalking all the time. I was all over her tweets about how stressed she was to have to finish her dresses in time for the show last week, and I’ve had my eye on her designs ever since my first visit to her Etsy shop a while back. It seems like everywhere I look there’s some buzz going on about her, and I’ll be the first to say that the hype is more than well deserved.

Her designs weren’t the only ones to sparkle and shine that night, though; several other items – and entire collections - definitely made my heart skip a beat.
Flavie Lechat’s items conjured images of birthday parties and cupcakes in my head. Her perfect red, white, and blue top as well as that beyond amazing chambray (was it chambray? It looked like chambray from where I was sitting) skirt were enough to make any girly girl swoon. And anyone who adds white tights to an outfit has my vote.

Rachel Chan’s collection, Contradict, sort of felt to me like it was David Bowie inspired in the best possible way (as if there is a bad way to be David Bowie inspired). I couldn’t help but picture his beautiful face as the girls walked barefoot down the runway in their awesome space age body suits and angular shoulder pads.

The outfit sported by WORN’s own Tessa from Emilie Brunet’s collection, La Fête, was on my mind all night after the show. I could just imagine myself tap dancing around my apartment to some silly silent film music on a Saturday night. The whole collection was black and white and made use of lots of different fabrics and inspiration to keep things all kinds of interesting.

Marie-Eve Emond nearly killed me when she opened her collection – Betina Lou - with a perfect white peter pan collar blouse. I would have been sold on her designs on the basis of that piece alone, but then the dresses and skirts and blouses just kept getting better and better. When she finally came out to humbly accept her applause, I realized she is as wonderful as the clothing she makes -perfectly Audrey Hepburn-esque with her cropped hair and classic style.

And Charlotte Eedson must have been sent here from my own personal fashion heaven, because that pink silk blouse and pants number she pulled out of her sleeve was pure magic. The rest of her collection was nothing short of perfect as well. And really, it isn’t fair that some girls have hair as good as hers!
Really though, the whole night was such a dream and the people who put it together are far too good to be true! I fell half in love with everyone I met and as I left my little seat (the one with my name on it) I couldn’t help but write mental lists of all the craft projects I want to start in the next few weeks.

These six designers deserve all the buzz, credit, and praise they get just for having the guts to put themselves out there and do something so awesome with the little creative gnomes that live in their heads.

- Meaghan Kelly

So, I’m sad to be missing the David Livingstone talk at the Bata Shoe Museum on Wednesday, but I’ll be judging Fashion POP. I’m pretty excited for my second year as the Michael Kors of the Montreal fashion crowd. It’s going to be hard to choose from six handpicked up-and-coming fashion designers, each presenting a six-look mini-collection. (See our little preview down below! Who do you want to win?) The winner gets $1000, as well as a $500 gift certificate from Le Château and a feature in our very own publication. The event is free and open to the public, Wednesday, September 30th, 8PM (doors at 7) Espace Reunion (6600 Hutchinson Street). Come early for a good spot!

WORN also has a table at Puces POP Oct. 3rd & 4th, 11am - 7pm at St. Michel Church Hall (105 St-Viateur O). Come say hi!
hearts, Serah-Marie

girlfriend material by Charlotte Eedson
AU COURANT, LADYLIKE, SENSIBLE, REBELLIOUS, ROCKER

If your line were to have a muse, who would it be?
Cat Power!

What fabrics do you like to work with?
Cotton, but I’m a big fan of the planet so I will work with anything sustainable, discarded, etc. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.

What tools are you using to make your line?
A sewing machine my parents bought me at Sears, my trusty thread stand and PMA (positive mental attitude)!

How did you learn how to make clothes?
How did I learn to make clothes well? A tailoring course and a teacher named Tonia Weber, bless her heart (and patience!).

Who is your favourite Canadian fashion designer?
That’s a toss-up! Erdem dresses, Jeremy Laing basics, and Dace weekend wear!

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Le Chat Clothing by Flavie Lechat
youth, childishness, monsters, pyjamas, comfort, psychiatry

If your line were to have a muse, who would it be?
Emily Haines (the singer from Metric).

What fabrics do you like to work with?
Mostly silk voile and very light wool. I used to have this huge passion for fleece, but I’m trying to discover other materials and move toward higher qualities of fabrics.

What tools are you using to make your line?
A plain stitch machine and a serger, a mannequin, scissors and needles.

How did you learn how to make clothes?
My mother taught me at the age of eight and I have never stopped since. I don’t think I’ve spent a day without touching my machine since that time.

Who is your favourite Canadian fashion designer?
I love LIFETIME Collective brand from Vancouver!

Betina Lou by Marie-Eve Emond
feminine, pretty, timeless, fitted, chic

If your line were to have a muse, who would it be?
Audrey Hepburn.

What fabrics do you like to work with?
Finding nice fabrics and trimmings is one of my favourite parts! I like to work with natural fabrics (wool, cotton, silk, linen, and blends of these fibres) and sustainable fabrics (organic cotton and bamboo). I prefer solid fabrics, without prints or patterns. I do like some subtle and classic patterns such as stripes, mini-plaid, mini-herringbone, or mini-houndstooth. I try to find fabrics that can last for more than a few weeks (I think it’s worth paying a little bit more for quality).

What tools are you using to make your line?
Even though I have an industrial sewing machine, I still sew most of the time with a Kenmore machine that my grandmother gave me when I was 14 years old. I work closely with my size 2 mannequin dress form. Other than that, I need music, plants, daylight, and my laptop.

How did you learn how to make clothes?
I learned how to sew by hand with scraps of fabric that my grandmother would give me when I was a child. She eventually taught me how to use a sewing machine. I started designing clothes for myself when I was a teenager and tried to make my own patterns. Then, I got a job as an assistant costume maker at age 16. I finally went to LaSalle College and studied fashion design.

Who is your favourite Canadian fashion designer?
Pink Tartan

Contradict by Rachel Chan
futuristic, structure, strong, sleek, flowy

If your line were to have a muse, who would it be?
Lara Stone.

What fabrics do you like to work with?
Silk chiffon, PVC, any jersey, satin, and silk charmeuse.

What tools are you using to make your line?
A sewing machine, an overlock machine, a serger, boning, shoulder pads, and an iron.

How did you learn how to make clothes?
High school and Lasalle College

Who is your favourite Canadian fashion designer?
Travis Taddeo

La Fête by Emily Brunet
graphic, elegant, stark, unisex, recreation

If your line were to have a muse, who would it be?
Cary Tauben.

What fabrics do you like to work with?
All types of silk. Silk is the king of fabrics.

What tools are you using to make your line?
My grandmother’s sewing machine and patience.

How did you learn how to make clothes?
I was living in Spain and this Swiss girl Ophélie taught me the basics. The rest I taught myself.

Who is your favourite Canadian fashion designer?
Denis Gagnon.

Norwegian Wood by Angie Johnson
layered, modern, excessive, edgy, dark

If your line were to have a muse, who would it be?
If Patti Smith actually cared about fashion I like to think she’d wear a few of the things in this collection.

What fabrics do you like to work with?
I actually really enjoy working with almost any fabric, but some of the highlights in this collection are: scalloped lace, double sided jersey, yarn dyed plaid, satin, chiffon, sheer jersey mesh, elastics, and fringe.

What tools are you using to make your line?
My trusty sewing machine, serger, and my own two hands!

How did you learn how to make clothes?
It all started when my mom taught me to embroider at age six, and has never stopped since. I credit most of my ability to my mom, many many books, and lots of practice. I also went to university to study clothing and textiles, but the “learning how to make clothes” part of things was pretty much taken care of before I got there.

Who is your favourite Canadian fashion designer?
Jeremy Laing

So that’s all the ladies - who are you rooting for to win?