I don't know if this will interest anyone, but this is an article about a Quebec designer, Denis Gagnon, who is closing up shop. His stuff was actually pretty nice. Anyways...
In fashion, but out of business
Acclaimed designer to quit. Denis Gagnon made magazine covers, but can't pay the bills
EVA FRIEDE, The Gazette
Published: Thursday, January 25, 2007
Critical acclaim, glossy editorial coverage and hanging at Holt
Renfrew were not enough to keep fashion designer Denis Gagnon in
business.
Yesterday, Gagnon announced he was closing his boutique
on St. Laurent Blvd. in the creatively burgeoning Mile End district. He
could not stay in business without public or private financial support,
he said.
"Mile End is getting there, but the product was perhaps too expensive for the area,'' Gagnon said.
Gagnon,
45, is known for his avant-garde creations, often in leather, with
intricate hand-sewn details like pleats and puckers. A T-shirt might
cost $100; a leather coat perhaps $1,000 to $1,500.
Fellow
designers, editors and stylists were dismayed by the news of Gagnon's
closing. They pointed to the difficulty of staying in business without
financial backing and to Canadians' lack of support for homegrown
designers.
Gagnon is certainly not the first talented designer to
go out of business, here or abroad. Last year, Quebecer Philippe Dubuc
declared bankruptcy before restarting his business on a smaller scale.
Years earlier, Siphay Southidara, now working for Parasuco, abandoned
his acclaimed Yso label.
"What a loss,'' Dubuc said.
"We struggle, we struggle, we struggle. We hang in, we get a lot of attention, we get press and positive reviews."
Constant
coverage in the pages of magazines like Elle and Flare - most recently
with a cover shot in Flare featuring five red dresses from five
Canadian designers - did nothing to boost sales, Gagnon said.
Designers need to market themselves more effectively, said Lisa Tant, editor in chief of Flare.
"Know
your business side of the fashion industry, as well,'' Tant said.
Market yourself, make sure your fit is right and price appropriate, she
advised.
She acknowledged, however, that many Canadians don't shop Canadian.
"We have to support our own artists,'' she said.
Gagnon,
one of our biggest talents, reminded her of Rick Owens, an American
designer in Paris "who is willing to put himself out on a limb and make
fashion artistic,'' she said.
"It's hard in this country to build a business on that."
There
aren't enough stores carrying Canadian product, she said. And shoppers
prefer to go to the mall to buy from cheaper multinational retailers or
from luxe international brands, she observed.
Designers Mike
Mitto and Payam Tavan are neighbours of Gagnon on the same strip of St.
Laurent Blvd. The pair are among a handful of designers who opened
there in the summer of 2005.
Business is picking up, they said. "We diversify a lot,'' said Tavan.
The pair do private label for manufacturers, custom design and sell their Tavan & Mitto line to Simons and The Bay.
Tavan
said the block is lined with luxurious home decor shops, so price is
not the problem. "We do have the Westmount lady, believe it or not,''
Mitto added.
"We're going to be losing one of our biggest talents,'' Tavan said.
Added Mitto: "Remember, fashion is a business and not an art. It's an applied art."
Azamit,
a stylist, model and muse to many designers in Montreal, agrees that
local shoppers do not support homegrown talent. She herself has closets
full of local fashion, and can be counted on to make an entrance at
fashion shows and parties in original Canadian styles.
"They go
for the big brands,'' said Azamit, who does not use her last name
professionally. "The money is here, but nobody seems to be investing in
the right places.''
For his part, Dubuc said consumers have always supported him. "That's why I'm still here.''
But where is the industry in terms of supporting creative talent, Dubuc asked.
"Copying,''
he answered, suggesting that the major players in the apparel industry
prefer making knockoffs to creating new fashion.
"Why doesn't the
fashion industry turn around, look at the designers and say: 'Let's
blend commercial products and creativity and make something of it?' ''
In
fact, Simons, the Quebec department store, came to Dubuc's aid after
his bankruptcy, commissioning a mid-price collection for men that will
be available in July. "That's an example of good support,'' Dubuc said.
Meanwhile,
Gagnon plans to reflect on how to "restructure his career,'' perhaps
take private commissions or contracts or work in theatre design, which
he did before moving into fashion in 2001.
He decided to close
down to avoid having to declare bankruptcy, he said. He also lost his
business partner, Anne Van den Bossche, who is working in Paris with
designer Rick Owens.
"It is a dream of mine to reopen downtown, but for now, I have to pay down my debt,'' Gagnon said.
Whatever happens, Gagnon vows he will continue to work creatively. "My name is out there."
The Denis Gagnon boutique, at 5392A St. Laurent Blvd., will close Feb. 17. The designer is liquidating all stock until then.
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