The excitement of Montreal flair is in the air once again as the world's fashion-savvy spring ahead and tick off March 1 to 4, 2010 - when Canada's most influential designers and international leading design participants will set up shop at the Bonsecours Market in Old Montreal to flaunt their finest for the 18^th edition of Montreal Fashion Week (MFW18) in collaboration with P&G Beauty.

Fashion Week is proud to turn the spotlight on Canada's fashion capital and the creativity of the designers who call it home, positioning the city as a major contributor and host to the fashion world. Building on the unprecedented success of MFW 17, this 18^th edition promises to be more exhilarating than ever. Based on the many foreign partnerships developed with Paris, Berlin, Milan and Tokyo, now more than ever we can consider Montreal the fashion capital.

MFW will reinforce its unique status by dishing up shows and events that continue to reflect its true identity: an icon of leading design.  The creativity and innovation of visionary designers solidifies Montreal Fashion Week's position as a leading fashion force.

All in all, there's every indication that Montreal Fashion Week is growing some long and gorgeous gams!

LE SHOWROOM:  March 2nd and 3rd

Le Showroom is proving unstoppable!  Made possible once again by the minist
re du Developement conomique, de l
Innovation et de Exportation du Qu
bec (MDEIE Department of Economic Development, Innovation and Export Trade), Le Showroom continues to wow fashion industry professionals with its unique and dynamic environment. This fifth edition will once again feature sixty leading national and international designers playing host to buyers from around the world as they come together to network and conduct one-on-one business throughout the two days of Le Showroom.

MFW 18 DESIGNER SELECTION COMMITTEE 

In an ongoing effort to respond to the needs of the fashion industry and support the success of its designers, Sensation Mode created The Designer Selection Committee. The committee will come together once again on January 12, 2010 to undertake the esteemed and difficult task of selecting the participants for MFW 18 and Le Showroom.  The discerning committee consists of a panel of influential fashion professionals with an solid grasp of the various issues surrounding the industry and its impact on cultural and industrial factors. This season the committee features Nathalie Atkinson, Journalist, National Post; Michele Coulombe, Director of Publication for Clin d
Oeil and Star Inc.; Caroline Chouinard, buyer for TNT; Diane Charbonneau, Curator of Contemporary Decorative Arts at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, Mus
e des Beaux-Arts de Montreal; and new members Am
lie Thellen et M
lanie Robillard, founders and buyers for boutique Unicorn and Andr
T
lio, Director, fashion fabrics for TELIO. Designers wishing to participate in MFW 18 have until January 11^th to enter their submissions for consideration. The lucky participants will be announced soon!

EVENTS PREVIEW

A sneak peek at some of the eclectic events already confirmed for MFW 18!

TELIO National Design Competition 2010

North America's leading textile import/export and distribution company, Montreal-based TELIO, welcomed a panel of six judges to their head offices in November 2009 to determine the 25 student-finalists of the TELIO Design Competition 2010. The finalists, selected from 129 Canada-wide entries, will have the unique opportunity to show off their creations to the public during MFW 18 as they compete for one of five grand prizes of a $10,000 scholarship! Good luck to all!

Midi Fashion

MFW 18 is pleased to announce the return of the Midi Fashion. Midi Fashion is hosted by Canada's Fashion Mart (CIMM: Centre international de mode de Montreal) located at 555 Chabanel. The Fashion Mart houses the largest concentration of fashion resources in Canada, at the heart of Montreal's fashion district. Fashion Week is pleased to invite attendees to visit the bustling Fashion Mart at 555 Chabanel which opens its doors to the world's fashion-savvy from March 1 to 4, where they can seek out and snap up the season's most innovative fashion trends. It's not to be missed!

Get Cultured!

Exclusive, limited last-minute tickets to same-day fashion shows will be offered by La Vitrine Culturelle during this upcoming edition of MFW. La Vitrine Culturelle gives the general public a fantastic opportunity to snag a seat at some of MFW's must-see events!

And of course, what would Montreal Fashion Week be without all of the city's best parties!? Stay tuned for more announcements on all the hottest happenings!

MFW & SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

In ongoing support of the Charte qu
b
coise pour une image corporelle saine et diversifi
e, launched in 2009 by the Minister of Culture, Communications and Status of Women, Fashion Week continues its campaign in 2010 to encourage the use of appropriately aged, healthy models in its fashion shows. MFW supports the projection of realistic images of women in an effort to promote self-esteem and sound body image to the public.

MAKING IT HAPPEN

Montreal Fashion Week 18, produced by Sensation Mode (www.sensationmode.com), is made possible through the invaluable support of its major partner, P&G Beauty, as well as Rowenta, the minist
re du D
veloppement
conomique, de l
Innovation et de le Exportation du Qu
bec (MDEIE
Department of Economic Development, Innovation and Export Trade), the minist
re des Affaires municipales, des R
gions et de l'Occupation du territoire (MAMROT), Bureau de la mode de Montreal, Tourisme Montreal, SDC Vieux Montreal and  Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada.

Established in 2001, Montreal Fashion Week is an initiative recognized and approved by Liaison Mode Montreal (LMM), a group of associations dedicated since 1998 to the promotion of the Montreal fashion and apparel industry on the national and international scene, as well as to the positioning of Montreal as a major North American production and creative centre. 

SENSATION MODE: CELEBRATING TEN YEARS OF FASHION AND DESIGN PROMOTION

The year 2010 marks the prestigious 10^th anniversary of Sensation Mode! Back in 2000, Sensation Mode began as a small company with a big idea
to promote fashion and design to the world. An explosive and energy-charged decade later, Sensation Mode now produces and presents the biggest Canadian and international fashion events while creating new and exclusive concepts such as the Montreal Fashion and Design Festival, the Fashion Theatre (in Berlin, Tokyo, New York and London) and Montreal Fashion Week, which includes Le Showroom concept. Throughout the last ten years Sensation Mode's innovative events have become an increasingly visible portal for the creativity and talent of fashion designers. With partnerships in major international cities such as Paris, Berlin, Milan and Tokyo, Sensation Mode is proud of its prestigious position among the leaders in fashion and design in North America.