Local boutiques to host Les Cours Mont-Royal’s first all-male fashion show
Boutiques from the downtown shopping mall Les Cours Mont-Royal are putting a fashion spin on the typical Movember awareness campaign. On Nov. 16, IIIMnkys, Matinique and Maison 1455 are teaming up to host a menswear fashion show in support of the Canadian Movember Foundation.
According to Alexandre Dufresne, the event’s organizer and manager of IIIMnkys, “we want to associate menswear [with Movember], not just the moustache.” Although the shopping mall hosts a mixed-gender fashion show every second Friday, this Movember event will be the first all-male fashion show at Les Cours Mont-Royal dedicated to men’s health, Dufresne said.
The Movember Foundation prides itself on “tackling men’s health on a global scale, year round,” according to their website. The charity aims to raise awareness about testicular cancer—the most common cancer found in young Canadian men—and prostate cancer by encouraging yearly medical screenings. The Movember Foundation also works to shed light on mental health issues experienced by men and advocate for suicide prevention. According to the foundation’s website, three out of four people who commit suicide in Canada are men, and one in 10 Canadian men will experience severe depression.
Among the brands sponsoring the event are Kuwalla, “one of our big local brands who, every year, give one per cent of their profits on T-shirts to a charity of their choice,” said Dufresne. MOJO Products and other local brands sold at IIIMnkys are also among the event’s sponsors.
In addition to the fashion show, surprise gifts will be handed out to attendees on the third floor of the mall throughout the day, Dufresne said. “A barber is donating his time to advise men on grooming practices, and there’s so much more,” he added. “It’s an event that we’ve been working on for months. I hope people show up for the cause.”
Les Cours Mont-Royal’s Movember fashion show starts at 7 p.m. on Nov. 16. Admission is free, although donations are appreciated and will go to the Movember Foundation. For more information or to volunteer at the event, send an email to [email protected] or call 514-284-1333.
Photo by Jennifer Li