Local fashion news | The Press

Published on Apr 16, 2021 Valérie Simard La Presse

Featured: A new brand for the plus size man

Having too often had to settle for jeans and t-shirts found in supermarkets or modify his clothes to obtain the perfect fit, Montrealer Mahrzad Lari launches, with two other fashion professionals, a line of clothing for men exclusively plus size. Rather than fitting tall men into the mould, Wide the Brand created their own.

The story of the brand is that of Mahrzad Lari, its co-founder and creative director. It is that of the child who “was always on the side of the bigger ones” and of an adult fascinated by fashion, but frustrated by his clothing. “I couldn't manage to be able to shop in stores and online without having frustrations and without having to plan alterations to all my pieces,” says Mahrzad Lari, who worked in the team of designer Marie Saint Pierre for years before becoming a real estate broker.

Shocked at how few choices men have outside of jeans, t-shirts and sportswear, he wanted to offer them stylish and contemporary staples. “Men not only need it, they want it too. They want to feel fashionable, they want to feel modern. They also want to be inspired by their clothes. […] We have this discourse for women more and more. The women's movement has been going from strength to strength for about 10 years. But, for some reason, the male counterpart didn't follow. »

To ensure that it is designing clothes that are truly adapted to the morphology of its customers, the company has developed its sample from a body size 2X, unlike many others who start from the pattern of their current sizes for the size of the body. expand to plus sizes. However, "the human body does not grow proportionally everywhere", remarks Mahrzad Lari.

But there is more than the gradation of sizes, according to him. “A plus size man is not going to experience the garment in the same way, he observes. We don't feel the same way, we don't move the same way, we don't live the same way. To ensure that the garments support the movement of the wearer, particular attention has been paid to the thread (more resistant) and to the material (stretchable). The manufacturing will be done entirely in Montreal.

The brand will officially launch on April 19 through a 30-day crowdfunding campaign. The entrepreneurs hope to raise $50,000, an amount that will allow them to launch the production of the first collection. A bomber jacket, a t-shirt, an overshirt and a trench coat will then be available for pre-order. A cap, a tote bag and a digital illustration signed LeBicar will also be offered to those who wish to support the project.

The launch of the website, which will host the online store, is scheduled for August.

Check out Wide the Brand's Facebook page

Green idea: Solios recycles watches

Do you have old watches lying around in your drawers for too long? The Quebec manufacturer of solar watches Solios has just launched a program to recycle them, regardless of the brand. "Our goal is to better serve the industry, because nothing is done in terms of the second life of products," says Solios co-founder Samuel Leroux. Even if the majority of the parts that compose them are recyclable, very few watches are recycled, in particular because the different materials must first be separated. “We know that the Solios will meet the same fate, even if their average lifespan is quintupled [the lifespan of a Solios is estimated at a minimum of 20 years]. We therefore want to set up a circular economy system to ensure that our impact is reduced as much as possible. »

Company pays shipping costs for program participants residing in Canada. A $50 discount on a Solios watch will also be offered. After having accumulated a certain volume of watches to be recycled, having taken them apart and having sorted the different materials, Solios will send them to partners specializing in the recycling of electronic equipment, one in Quebec and the other in France. Some watches could also be integrated into a work of art that will be created to make consumers aware of the environmental impact of this object.

Launched by Alexandre Desabrais and Samuel Leroux, who were on the show Dans l'œil du dragon on April 5, Solios watches are equipped with a lifetime rechargeable solar-powered battery. The plastic used inside the watch as well as the stainless steel of the case are now made from 100% recycled material. Last December, Solios became the first watch manufacturer to obtain B Corp certification, reserved for companies that meet social and environmental requirements.

Visit the Solios website

Collaboration: Hats inspired by DJ Karaba

The milliner Camille Côté, whose brand has evolved into the name of her star product Croppedhat, has teamed up with the Montreal DJ of Franco-Congolese origin Karaba for the creation of a spring mini-collection. Born from a manipulation error, the Cropped Hat is a hat cut out at the back with an integrated elastic band. Because it adapts to all head and hair types, it has become the designer's best seller. In this collection, Croppedhat offers three hats inspired by DJ Karaba's unique style, music and hot summer rhythms. Molding to the head with ease, they allow freedom and movement, describes Camille Côté, recalling Karaba's first profession: dance.

The hats are named for black women Karaba admires, including Turner (a lightweight vinyl visor inspired by Tina Turner), Ross (a milan straw bucket hat evoking Diana Ross) and Franklin (a sun hat with wide brim in milan straw named in tribute to Aretha Franklin). All hats are handmade in Montreal, using artisanal techniques.

Visit the Croppedhat website

On the agenda: Local fashion at Desloups

The designer and owner of Desloups, Isabelle Deslauriers, will open the door of her boutique to other local designers within the framework of ephemeral events which will be held there one weekend per month. The ball is launched this weekend with the presentation of the new collections of many local brands of clothing and fashion and decoration accessories, namely Nemrac, Manik Fashion, Alice and Simone, LNP, Anne-Marie Chagnon, Linum and Soja & Co. It will also be possible to purchase Desloups t-shirts, caps and hoodies. Other events will be held on May 22 and 23 and June 12 and 13. VIP tickets, on sale for $10, allow you to shop privately and receive a bag of local products.

Visit the Facebook page of Desloups

Good cause: A bracelet for Opération Enfant Soleil

Bizou and Familiprix are teaming up again this year with Opération Enfant Soleil by launching the Julianne and Raphaëlle bracelet, all profits from the sale of which will be donated to the cause of sick children. This bracelet with four rows, which can be worn separately, is equipped with a charm bearing the effigy of Opération Enfant Soleil. It was created in honor of sisters Julianne and Raphaëlle Turcotte. Now aged 10 and 8, the sisters have both been diagnosed with systemic juvenile arthritis, a disease that affects the whole body and can affect not only a child's joints and skin, but also their internal organs. .

The bracelet is sold in limited series for $10 in Bizou boutiques and Familiprix-affiliated pharmacies, as well as online.

Visit Bizou's website