Montreal Fashion Week returns for fifth year with runway kickoff

Montreal Fashion Week returned Tuesday for its fifth edition, kicking off a week-long lineup of events with a runway show by Montreal-based designer Eliza Faulkner.

There are many more events to look forward to – closing off with a mode gala on sept 30.

“Eliza is a really powerful and creative brand, and we’re really pleased that they join us in the Montreal Fashion Week this year,” said Gautier Berlemont, deputy manager at Montreal Fashion Cluster. “I feel like its giving a really nice momentum, starting the fashion week with their event.”

Including Faulkner’s runway show, this year’s edition will feature five more signature events that showcase homegrown talent and creativity.

“We have Anne-Marie Chagnon, Maison-Marie Saint-Pierre, Ligne de Fuite, Mccord Museum, and the Centre Culturel Afro-Canadien de Montréal,” said Berlemont. “So, six big events, really important for the ecosystem because it’s bridging all together as well as communities, but also different types of fashion.”

Fashion lovers can expect more than a hundred events planned for the rest of the week, showcasing various local brands, designers and retailers.

“We also have events within the different schools, that’s called les Rendez-Vous de L’industrie, and my colleague Marie is driving all the way to Quebec to meet with the students and give them a real state of what the Montreal fashion industries and ecosystem is,” said Berlemont.

“I’m very excited about all the workshops around sustainability and circular fashion,” said Laurence Fortin-Côté, Rholend founder and spokesperson for Montreal Fashion Week.

The events are open to the public. The 2025 edition also serves to shine a light on community-driven projects, with the aim to reinforce inclusion and sustainability.

“It’s really important to not forget that we are a community, and we can work it out all together,” said Berlemont. “So, buying local, seeing local designers.”

“We’re really proud of the program of fashion week every year,” said Fortin-Côté. “There’s so much great talent and creativity in Montreal so it’s really a moment to showcase everyone and also bring in emerging talents and celebrate creativity and innovation.

“There’s pop-ups in boutiques, there’s workshops in person. So, it’s really inviting the public to join and experience and see with their own eyes what Montreal has to offer in the fashion scene.”