Groupe Sensation Mode: Bringing fashion to the public for 15 years

At the end of 1999, Groupe Sensation Mode is born from a meeting between two visionary entrepreneurs with a strong idea: to democratize fashion by building a community, making it accessible to the Montreal public and a popular entertainment activity. As the 15th edition of the Fashion & Design Festival (FMD) approaches, co-presidents Jean-François Daviau and Chantal Durivage take a look back at their creation, which has grown into a prominent player in the fashion and design sector with an impact that is felt around the world.

"When we were immersed in our fashion research, we quickly realized that only a small circle of professionals had access to shows. This was inspired and validated by a Chanel quote: a fashion that does not reach the streets is not a fashion. We developed a new, more entertaining concept for public shows that featured elements of dance, theatre and music," remembers Chantal Durivage. "At the time, this idea was so radical that our first festival was authorized by a permit... from Sports and Recreation!"

"Fifteen years later, Group Sensation Mode has an extensive network of international contacts in every area of the fashion and design industry," adds Jean-François Daviau. "None of this would have been possible without the bold action of the decision-makers in Quebec who were determined to take our innovative path, nor without the support of the public, who instantly followed us. Groupe Sensation Mode has managed to bring together a true community by collaborating on 60 productions and its name is now recognized worldwide."

Full of plans

Now a true fashion pillar, Groupe Sensation Mode does not intend to rest on its laurels. For its leaders, the group's future lies on developing a fashion and design web platform (a pilot version will be online in June 2015) and exporting its festival concept to new markets, particularly in Western Canada and Europe.

For years, Groupe Sensation Mode has been incredibly active on social networks, reaching an estimated 2.1 million fashion and design fans through the Fashion & Design Festival alone. It plans to create a real online community with the addition of e-commerce, a starting point for a much broader vision that will make Montreal a major fashion hub in the 21st century.

"Groupe Sensation Mode has already built bridges between fashion and design industry players in Montreal, but we must go beyond a local showcase," says Chantal Durivage. "In the long term, we plan to foster the development of events like the Fashion & Design Festival across major creative cities around the world. In addition to bringing visibility to the brands and designers who participate in these events, this activity will lead to the creation of innovative content that can be shared across many different platforms, allowing fans to meet, learn and obtain merchandise worldwide."

A key player

Today, Groupe Sensation Mode brings together a community of local and international players and interests, including designers, major retailers, specialty shops, general and cultural media, major cultural institutions and museums, professional associations, public and private partners, plus alliances with partner events in New York, Los Angeles, Paris, London, Berlin and Tokyo.

Over the years, the biggest names in fashion have participated in the Fashion & Design Festival, including Jean Paul Gaultier, Nathalie Rykiel, Jean-Charles de Castelbajac and Garance Doré. Major personalities in the artistic and sports world have also attended events produced by the group, including Michael Bublé, Rachel Hunter, Will Smith, Claude Lelouch, PK Subban, Eddy Irvine, Jacky Stewart, Robert Lepage and Guy Laliberté.

Major milestones

This success was not built in a day though. For 15 years, Groupe Sensation Mode has continued to reinvent and build bridges within the industry:

2000: First event, Sensation, a fashion theatre held on Saint-Laurent Blvd. during the F1 Grand Prix. 2002: First test abroad: Quebec Fashion Theater, presented in New York — quickly followed by another event in London. 2004: Major retailers join the festival, which moves to McGill College Ave. The event helps transform this street over the years. 2005: Groupe Sensation Mode becomes the producer of Montreal Fashion Week. 2007: Presentations in Tokyo and Toronto — a proven international success. 2009: The addition of a musical component to the fashion side of the festival. Presentation of Quebec Fashion Theater in Berlin. 2010: End of the connection with F1 Grand Prix. The festival now takes place in August. A shopping component is added to the music and fashion segments. 2011: Addition of a design component to the fashion, music and shopping segments. Presentation of the event Fashion & Opera in Los Angeles. 2013: Germany asks Groupe Sensation Mode to be part of a delegation of the planet's greatest fashion influencers. 2014: The Festival moves to the Quartier des spectacles with a whole new approach that closely associates fashion with entertainment and shows with major Canadian brands and fashion designers. 2015: For its 15th edition, the Festival plans to launch a virtual, interactive and borderless component. More than ever, the world opens itself to the Fashion & Design Festival.

The Fashion & Design Festival annually attracts some 500,000 visitors, 21 per cent of which are from outside of Montreal, with an estimated economic impact of over $60 million. The 15th Fashion & Design Festival takes place from August 17 to 22 in the Quartier des spectacles and will bring together more international fashion and design personalities than ever before.

About Groupe Sensation Mode (GSM)

After 15 years of many activities, Groupe Sensation Mode (GSM) continues to produce and host major fashion events in Canada and abroad. Best known for producing annual events like Montreal Fashion Week and the Fashion & Design Festival, GSM has also created unique concepts, such as Fashion Theatre (on the stages of Berlin, Tokyo, New York and London) and the Fashion & Opera Runway Show in Los Angeles. For 15 years, GSM's innovative events have served as a showcase for designer talent and major brands. Through partnerships in some of the world's fashion capitals — like New York, Los Angeles, Paris, London, Berlin and Tokyo — Group Sensation Mode is proud to carve out a place for itself among North America's fashion and design leaders.

Photo 1 by: Agnieszka S.

Photo 2 by: Jimmy Hamelin