Minimidimaxi Magazine

Phillippe Dubuc did not tiptoe into Paris for the prestigious Men’s Fashion Week earlier this season. He arrived cresting on a wave of media frenzy, champagne and good old-fashioned Quebec snow. Apart from stirring a panic when European fashion hounds could no longer see their pricey wing tips amid the fake flakes, Dubuc’s landmark show in the basement of the famed Louvre Museum spread the word that Canadian fashion means business.

The designer really jazzed things up for this premiere of a Canadian in Paris—our native hinterland, the subject of so many National Film Board shorts, jumped to life in the dramatic recreation that included the lonely howl of the arctic wolf. Styling was rough and tumble layered chic while the clothes swayed from preppy plaid to bohemian stripe. Something is definitely going on with the cut, maybe a special tapered tweak that brings out the best in the blue blood Dubuc ethos. There are some great business casual suits and snappy zip-up corduroy vests, probably the trendiest urban pieces. And how inviting could snow be without those cuddly wool sweaters to give you a big hug?

I suspect that the spooky caramelized patterns were used as showmanship vehicles, but their services were hardly needed. The mere craftsmanship of the collection had the real style hounds, the bespectacled couture coots, leaning in for a closer inspection from the very first piece.

Now there is a bit less water between us and these foreign, lucrative shores.

Daniel Cox, Fashion Editor
Martin Rondeau, Photographer