Designer Dane Richards, last year's Fashion Pop award winner and avant style savant, is showing his Autumn/Winter 2010 line tomorrow evening in an independent presentation at the Eastern Bloc loft, following a cocktail reception. I think you should come see it, because Dane is quite simply a national treasure! The collection is inspired by the wildlife of his oceanside childhood - get ready for lots of tendrilly, crystally, aquatic magic. I spoke to the tall, handsome designer/photographer/rapid Oprah fan to learn a little bit about the collection he describes as an experiment in "cleaning the shores with luxury mops and woven filter." If you're tickled by this in the same weird place as I am, I expect to lock eyes with you across a certain crowded 5 a 7 tomorrow. And to never let go.

Last Friday, Preloved collaborated with La Chatte Bottée to bring Montreal vintage aficionados a shoe and recycled fashion party at Preloved's location (4832 St. Laurent), between 6:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m.

Last Friday, Malefice presented 'Firetease,' two uniquely choreographed burlesque performances at Club Sin (Montreal's longest running fetish event).

Inspired by cabaret, the dancers (Delvida, Jasmine, Morxia and Mlle. A Samantha) took on the personas of coquettish beauties and seductive femme fatales. The aim of the event was to showcase Malefice's hand-made fashion designs coupled with Mlle A. Samantha's choreography, and in a broader context, to promote the preservation of Club Sin, whose location is now threatened by the planned gentrification of St. Laurent.

I don't know about you, but I'm a long time lover of vintage. You know, those things that make your mom or grandma smile awkwardly with discomfort because in their minds you're wearing something that's soooooo terribly outdated? Yeah, that stuff. It must come from the fact that my best friend's family have been owners of vintage stores for as long as I can remember. They taught me about the joys of having unique pieces and recycling it into a new and original style of your own. Over the years, it's been a growing passion of mine. In fact, this summer, I spent some time at my grandparent's house, and while I was there, I spent a ridiculous amount of time foraging through every single closet - an experience that was a mixture of joyous finds and mad sneezing spells. But since we live in a culture of constant renewal, such treasure hunts aren't always fruitful as we'd like, which is why we need passionate entrepreneurs like Beau and Ryan, who love vintage just about as much as I do, and have recently opened up a very cool boutique in NDG.

So I went to Fashion Pop last night, as I promised you I would. By the time I arrived, the snacks table was nothing but chip crumbs and salsa juice, and I didn't win the raffle, so frankly I'm not even sure why I'm bothering to write this post.

Just kidding! I had a great time, and not just because of my important-person seat and the game of dress-up-like-an-important-fashion-person I was playing (only player and therefore winner: me). The Le Château-sponsored fashion show featuring six Montreal designers competing for cash was a great way to kick off Pop week and a major step up for the Fashion Pop/Puces Pop crew, who are really making a case for taking the local fashion scene seriously. Fashion Pop co-ordinator / stylist / photographer / street style blogger / Jill-of-all-trades / all-around best girl Marilis Cardinal, along with Puces Pop directors and Mile End style queens Jenny Lee Craig and Amy Johnson, deserve heaps of praise for putting on an energetic and friendly event that still gave us that cool little extra frisson that only fashion can.

I'm gonna level with you. For me, 99% of the Pop Montreal schedule is like a page of calculus homework or a hangover not being considered a legitimate reason to call in sick. I just don't understand. I wish I could get as excited as everyone else about all the amazing shows, but I just don't know enough about what bands are cool, and a lot of the time I find that shows are just so loud and there's so much standing. But I love Pop anyway, because of the amazing burst of energy the city gets before we all give up and just spend the next six months smoking weed and cuddling. And because the good, thoughtful people at Pop Montreal care about all of us, even if we really just go to shows to look at other people's outfits. For people like me, there's Puces Pop, and more specifically, Fashion Pop.

I'm about to do something I hate. I already know I'm going to be really upset with myself over this. Twenty minutes from now I might well be weeping, trying to figure out how to delete this post, cursing the day I agreed to any of this. The point of this disclaimer is to impress upon you that I am doing this for you, because I care about you deeply. I'd do anything for you. I'd throw myself in front of a moving train for you. In fact, that's what this feels like! I think maybe I'm in love with you? It's the only way to explain the fact that I'm about to reveal to you Montreal's single greatest treasure, and my favourite place on Earth. It's where I hope to be buried once I kill myself for telling you this.

It's not really a store and it's not really a house, though it's kind of both. It's really just a fashion lover's dream come true and I'm not being hyperbolic when I say it has been known to move people to tears (my friend cried there last weekend). It's called The Little Shoppe, and I really, really don't want you to ever go there.

Sportswear doesn’t usually get much attention during the Paris fashion week which just wrapped up yesterday. adidas is changing that with its “Originals by Originals” series, created with partners like the Japanese street-wear icon Kazuki and the soccer star David Beckham, who is collaborating with James Bond(not the spy) from the label Undefeated. My fashion favorites, however, are Jeremy Scott’s wild jackets, dresses and sneakers, inspired by Africa.

The March 2009 edition of Montreal Fashion Week brought us the exclusive launch of an innovative accessory line from Montreal born stylist Naomi Laliberté last night under the label Bourgeosie. The label's mandate is to re-customize fashion classic pieces into stylized items aimed at fashion forward clientele. The first collection launched last night at Marché Bonsecours was a haute couture version of the baseball cap, using hand selected luxurious and unexpected textiles to form a perfect cap. Montreal Fashion Week brought succeeded in bringing warm colours and fabrics to a city in trenched cool and grey.

New MP correspondent Margot Nossal is trying to get through Montreal's winter by thinking about summer things, like t-shirts. She brings us this report about a funky Mile End shirt shop

You might have tried your own silk-screening projects at home, but if your creativity's on hiatus for the winter, go no further than Jenx & Cie., the shop at 51 Bernard O. that carries the Montréalité line of designs and products. You'll find shelves stacked with colourful shirts and baskets of buttons, many with designs of familiar Montreal symbols: the Farine Five Roses sign, the Gibeau Orange Julep, even a sesame seed bagel (you decide whether it's a Fairmount or St-Viateur.)

Ok our city's fashion sense has long been celebrated, but the latest must-have accessory has nothing to do with looking stylish. It's more a question of avoiding a trip to the hospital emergency room. If anyone has taken a walk outside on our city's sidewalks they have been as slick as the ice at the Bell Centre. With meteorologists forecasting a deep freeze today, and a major storm for Thursday, the city councilor responsible for snow removal -- who also happens to be the brother of Mayor Gerald Tremblay -- had some practical advice for citizens: Strap some crampons on your boots. Crampons wha? Let me share some info with you about this.

Staged as the official kick-off to this year’s Puces POP festivities the first Annual Fashion Show took place last night @ CODA CLUB. When the doors finally opened, crowds gathered in quickly to surround the chairs in which formed the on the floor runway. The event showcased six emerging designers working in Montreal today. They were asked to create a 6-look mini-collection. Then they were judged by a jury of fashion pro's[working folk] to select the most innovative designer to receive the Emerging Designers Award of $2,000 bucks!!. This event was presented in part by Le Château.[ they dished out the money] Yet it's cool to see a big brand like that get down to grassroots fashion. The crowd was excited and in a good spirits to see the show even though it was running late. The snacks provided went in seconds, the event was hosted by award-winning comedian Peter J. Radomski. I didn't think he was too funny, but he had one or two moments. [He's the short guy in the suit in the slide show] Clothing ranged from sickly basic to over the top innovative. A big shout out goes to local blogger Marilis Cardinal from the local website pregnantgoldfish. She coordinated the entire evening. Thanks sister! Please click below to see some slide show shots of the show! Also be sure to check out the PUCES POP Marketplace this weekend to find great fashion treasures!