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This is the last part of my Festival Mode et Design 2016 photo story, a recall of Day 3 and Day 4. Keep reading and scrolling to see some of my favourite styles presented on the catwalk and some of my favourite festival moments. And, to complete the FMD tour, i'm giving you a sneak peek of the backstage makeup madness.
I recently took a deep dive into the world of fashion at Festival Mode et Design (Fashion and Design Festival). The event takes place every summer in Place des Festivals in the heart of Montreal and it spans over several days, bringing together a lineup of fashion shows, conferences, pop-up shops and more. I mainly experienced the festival with the camera in my hand, from the photographers’ pit, looking to explore and celebrate yet another side of Montreal creativity. Join me over the next few days and over my next few blog posts as I recall the experience and show you some of my favourite moments and photos.
I started off my FMD experience by attending the conference with Max Abadian, a famous and very talented Montreal photographer, with a long career and an impressive portfolio, and who has worked with huge names such as Lady Gaga, Coco Rocha, Cindy Crawford etc etc. It was really inspirational and Max had such great knowledge and tips to share, from details on how he works with the models on the shoots to more at large, career advice. I left the conference really encouraged (there IS still room to grow as a photographer in this crowded city) and thirsty for some more fashion inspiration over the next few days.
I spent the rest of the evening at Passerelle Casino de Montréal. First, I’ve seen the Cabinet Ephémère show (some really nice collections from Quebec designers) and the Pur Chic show from Rockland (showing off creations from prestigious international brands). Here are some of my favourite creations and moments from the two shows (click on the images to expand):
Following was the Waxman House event, which was a great production, with some nice surprises and overall an awesome kick off to the festival. To put it in a few words, it was a rap concert combined with a very chic masculine fashion show. But I really have to expand on that: it was a live concert with a live band and a talented Montreal rap duo (Migs and Silent J), and some great 90’s East Coast hip hop beats (I used to be an underground hip hop snob in my teenage years, and I really have to give a thumbs up to the music). The fashion was awesome, very chic, but you know, male fashion, not really for me 😃, but I can’t complain taking photos of some good looking models in some great suits 😃. And it was a freakin’ cool surprise to see Zombie Boy as part of this show. And to spice things up, the event ended with a burlesque performance. All in all, great opening show for FMD! See for yourself in the photos below (click on the images to expand):
(To be continued...)
Ah, summer and its music festivals...There I was once again, throwing my stuff in the car, and heading off into the sunset, over the top excited for the weekend to come...I could almost hear the music from Parc Carillon all the way from Montreal...
AIM Festival was at its first edition; a new type of experience for my Canadian (or let's say Noth-American) counterparts. To me, it somewhat reminded me of festivals back home in Romania, years ago, before electronic music became what i like to call "overground". Come to think of it, here in Canada, electronic music (i'm not talking about EDM) is still an underground phenomenon, with a rather limited audience. However, AIM brought forth the immersive and liberating experience of a camping festival and getting lost in music in a 32 hours dance marathon. And it was indeed SO MUCH FUN...in spite of certain shortcomings (wish there were more people at times, I love eye-candy, so I would have loved some decorations, I would have loved printed timetables etc.)...but hey, it's a new thing for Canada, first year, I'm understanding and looking forward to next year...
Like in any festival, part of the fun happens in the camp site. I was quite happy with the camping, and I was lucky enough to be surrounded by enough friends that we established our own little AIM borough. The festival itself was exhausting but really fun. The two stages (Moog Stage and Heineken Stage) both offered an extended line-up of good DJ's, so it was always exciting, but almost impossible to see every single DJ I would have liked.
So now as I am writing these I am just taking off my AIM bracelet...with great nostalgia that is...Can't wait for AIM 2016!
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