#Montreal: Inlandsis Fashion Show (PICTURES)

"Ice Castle", I thought as soon as I entered the room. The winter wonderland scene created by giant crystal snowflakes, chiffon drapes and a woolen runway was magical. This night was all the more special because the show was held at LaSalle College in the Jean-Paul Morin room named after the college's founder who was himself in attendance.

The show highlighted the work of Montreal designers such as: Mackage, Musi Furs, Samuel Dong, Elsa C-Rossow, Dinh Ba, Melissa Nepton, Anomal Couture, Duy and Anastasia Lomonova. Each collection was more intricate than the other and was a perfect fit for the night's winter chic theme. From the accessories to the whimsical makeup to the snowflake sprinkled hair all the details were perfect and created what they called: Inlandsis.

Here are some of the looks. Enjoy!

Photo credits: F.W.A.C photography™

Street Thread: Canucks!

Since we are spending the week in Montreal, Canada it is only fitting that we give street creds to Canada's own local trendsetters. Enjoy this edition of the Street Thread!

Seen in Montreal.

Seen in Montreal.

Seen in Vancouver.

Seen in Alberta.

Seen in Toronto.

Seen in Vancouver.

Seen in Montreal.

Seen in Toronto.

Seen in Montreal.

Seen in Quebec.

Gunman massacres 14 women-CBC broadcast

Broadcast Date: Dec. 6, 1989 A gunman confronts 60 engineering students during their class at l'École Polytechnique in Montreal on Dec. 6, 1989. He separates the men from the women and tells the men to leave the classroom, threatening them with his .22-calibre rifle. The enraged man begins a shooting rampage that spreads to three floors and several classrooms, jumping from desk to desk while female students cower below. He roams the corridors yelling, "I want women." Before opening fire in the engineering class, he calls the women "une gang de féministes" and says "J'haïs les féministes [I hate feminists]." One person pleads that they are not feminists, just students taking engineering. But the gunman doesn't listen. He shoots the women and then kills himself. Parents of the Polytechnique students wait outside the school crying and wonder if their daughters are among the 14 dead tonight.

Montréal Massacre

On December 6, 22 years ago what most thought to be a regular day in school turned deadly. A 25 year old misogynist, Marc Lépine, marched in École Polytechnique classrooms and gunned down 14 students before taking his own life. All the victims were female. "I hate feminists," said the lone gunman. And just like that, the face of a once peaceful Montreal was mutilated forever. The security Montrealers took for granted was robbed in minutes. Mothers and fathers alike were horrified, devastated and scarred for their children. The innocent victims were attending the best engineering school in the city and had promising futures laid out before them. But on that faithful day their families would have to accept that their daughter's graduation, wedding and children would never come to be. It wasn't easy and it still isn't easy.

Photo credits: Sun Media

Demonstrators hold portraits of some of the victims of the Montreal Massacre during the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women rally on Parliament Hill in Ottawa Dec. 6, 2011.

Memorials took place all across Canada on Tuesday. Thousands of people marched to denounce violence against women everywhere. In Ottawa, a rally on Parliament Hill was held for the 14 victims. Although the Conservative Party was not invited, Prime Minister Steven Harper released a statement marking December 6 as National Day of Remembrance. Why was the party in power not invited, you ask? Well, this anniversary brought the ongoing Bill C-19 debate to the forefront. This Bill's goal to abolish the Federal Gun Registry is an insult to the victims' families. The Federal Gun Registry was implemented in response to the Polytechnique massacre. It was meant to restraint firearms accessibility and by doing so keeping guns out of the wrong hands. "The progress that we keep making will be stalled, diminished or reversed," shooting survivor Heidi Rathjen told in a news conference in Quebec.

In spite of all the controversy surrounding this day, the victims' families want us to remember their loved ones and join them by taking a stand against gender-based violence giving a voice to the women who are victimized daily by these cowardly crimes.

Let's dedicate this day to loving all the women in our lives: our mothers, sisters, aunts, grandmothers, step-mothers, wives, mothers-in-law, girlfriends and be sties.

<3

PS: Stay tuned for the CBC chilling broadcast of 1989 later on today.

Fashion and Design Festival in Montreal: More Pics!

During our Montreal trip we had the pleasure of meeting a talented photographer, Jean Terry. Here is a sample of his work. These pictures were taken during the Fashion and Design Festival of Montreal and we are really excited to share them with you!

Love,

Kelie XoxO

PS: French Word of the day: Photographe = Photographer