Ralph Leroy brings It with Montreal's First 'Flashion Mob'

The first element that contributed to the event's success was its secrecy. The public was unaware of Ralph Leroy's street fashion show until the models stepped out of St-Catherine's Tattoo Bar, which served as the show's backstage area where all the dressing and prepping took place. An event in collaboration with Rolemodels for the Farha Foundation's 20th "Ca Marche" to support the Aids/HIV community.

This sartorial army, composed of thirty Rolemodel models styled entirely in Ralph Leroy designs, first made its way to the Quartier des Spectacles. The reaction was immediate; people were pausing, staring, and enjoying the pleasant surprise.

Ralph Leroy could have stopped there (after all, it is Montreal's first fashion mob), but he didn't. Once the models got to Place-des-Arts, they were joined by exotic drummers and dancers, as well as a saxophone player – additional performances orchestrated by the Leroy team (including the PR firm Karyzma agency) as part of the show.

In between two drum beats, I was able to get a couple of words from the designer himself.

I'm a man of theatre, so it was evident for me to reveal my collection this way. Traditional fashion shows can get pretty boring, so I really wanted to do something fun and different.

The playfulness of the show resonated with the collection itself—classic pieces like trenchcoats and capes were present, but Leroy's line had injections of electric blue, neon yellow, flashing fuschia and other exciting colors which brightened up the crowd despite the gloomy weather. The public reaction was so positive that Leroy and his models also made a quick stop at Philip's Square.

I've been having a lot of fun during the preparation of this project. This is our first event, but definitely not our last

the designer said on a closing note.

We certainly hope so!

Photography: Vincent Chine, Vanessa Tétreault