Event

Festival Mode et Design - A photo story (Day 1)

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. 

DAY 1

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. 

Max Abadian conference at Festival Mode et Design Montreal - Tora Photography

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...) 
 

Memories from Fashion Preview

At the beginning of April I attended the last evening of Fashion Preview, a 3 day event and the main fashion showcase in Montreal. I was there to support one of my favourite clients: Maison CYMA, who were presenting their Fall-Winter 2016-2017 collection. For once, I was attending an event without a full on-photography assignment, but I couldn’t help bringing my camera with me  to capture some moments, and I would like to share some of my memories from that evening.

I hadn’t attended a fashion event in a while. Last time it was at Montreal Fashion Week, when it was still happening. It really felt good to immerse myself once again in this type of creative environment and see some very beautiful creations by some very talented Montreal designers. Presenting that night were: Maison CYMA, Dominique Ouzilleau, Claudette Floyd, Alexandre dit Sandy and Lushyne.

Even though I had already seen the Fall-Winter 2016-2017 collection that Maison CYMA had presented, it was great to see the garments on the catwalk this time, in a beautiful artistic direction. They presented a powerful collection, combining handmade smocking textures, recycled fur and fish leather.  Here are some photos I shot before & during the presentation. For the official photos of their collection, please see here.

Since I wasn’t there on a photo mission, I don’t have a full photographic account of the evening but I did get some nice photos of Claudette Floyd’s elegant collection. For the beautiful creations from all the other designers, I suggest checking out the links shared on the Fashion Preview Facebook page.

In conclusion, Fashion Preview was a cool little sneak peek into Montreal's fashion world and I am looking forward to being back here; as a photographer or in the public. I had fun and all those beautiful clothes were great eye-candy.