Cheryl Shops

It was almost exactly four years ago that MW and I made an impromptu trip to Montreal; we ended up there last week on our mini-moon of sorts (MW was actually there for a conference; I tagged along). We were in more of a university neighborhood this time, which was fine with me--it was more quiet than downtown, but easy to get nearly everywhere we needed to go. My shopping trips were basically conducted in short bursts while MW was off giving a reading or panel discussion, but here's what I hit this time.

While I normally do a lot of research on where to shop before leaving for a trip, my Montreal prep work consisted of crowd-sourcing on Twitter and looking stuff up on my phone at the airport before we left. Needless to say, my last-minute queries turned up TNT, which was conveniently a few blocks away from our hotel. Sort of like a mini Barneys, TNT has an appealing mixture of avant-garde fashion like Comme des Garçons, contemporary lines like J Brand and Elizabeth & James, and the best selection of French labels like Sandro, Isabel Marant, and Maje that I've seen outside of Paris. The lower level was all sale merchandise, currently 30-50% off. One thing to note: Here, as in many stores in Montreal, I found the salespeople to be rather prickly. But when in doubt, head next door to Calories, where service is much more friendly, and drown your sorrows in some tasty apple crisp or cheesecake. 4100 Rue St. Catherine Ouest, Westmount

MW's conference was close to Holt Renfrew, which is kind of like the Neiman Marcus of Canada. The Montreal store is much smaller than the Vancouver location, with the usual beauty and accessories on the first floor, designer on the second, and shoes, contemporary, sportswear, and lingerie on the third. You can find the major American players here--Marc Jacobs, DVF, Tory Burch, Michael Kors--but also European designers like Erdem, Marni, and Dries Van Noten. I fell somewhat in love with a bandage skirt by Pleasure Doing Business but decided against it due to its length, which left little to the imagination, and its price, which was still $99 Canadian. I also tried on two interesting Rick Owens-esque dresses by Line, which might be a private label; both were very drapey and flattering, but one was too small and one was too large. Service here was much more pleasant, perhaps due to its tourist-friendly location; then again, it was here that I perfected my first-speak-French, then-speak-English technique. 1300 Rue Sherbrooke Ouest

Ssense, which is kind of like the Net-a-Porter of Canada, has a fairly new two-story boutique in the Old Town (which, strangely enough, is not listed anywhere on the ecommerce site). They carry everything from Proenza Schouler and Givenchy for the ladies to Topman for the guys; unlike the excellent website, most items were of the full-price variety (except for some several-seasons-old Balmain, which, at $3,000 and up, was still way out of my price range). Considering its location is in a rather touristy area, I kind of wonder who shops here. 90 Rue St. Paul Ouest

One of my favorite shops, also in the Old Town, was Espace Pepin, equal parts art gallery and clothing boutique, showcasing the work of local artists and designers. The vibe is very artsy, with lots of relaxed crinkled linen clothes and oversized jewelry, but prices were reasonable, and I think it's always important to support local talent. It's also worth a visit alone for the adorable Saint Bernard who presides over the store. 350 Rue St. Paul Ouest

And while you're in the Old Town, I highly recommend stopping for a bite to eat at Olive & Gourmando. True, I hadn't eaten carbs in 2 weeks, but their sandwiches tasted like a little bit of heaven and their iced tea was like ambrosia. They also have pastry, homemade granola, jams, and Savon de Marseilles products for sale. 351 Rue St. Paul Ouest

Finally, our trip coincided with the opening of the Jean-Paul Gaultier retrospective at the Musée des Beaux Arts, so of course I dragged MW there on our last day. I would highly recommend visiting if you're in town (it runs through October 2nd); the exhibit focuses mainly on Gaultier's couture work, and the placards note how many hours each garment took to construct--being able to examine these works of art up close is truly a treat. The staging, if you will, is really innovative too--one section features looks rotating on a runway, and throughout the exhibit, talking faces are projected onto the mannequins' heads, which is kind of freaky at first, but an interesting way to present information and set a mood nonetheless. And because Gaultier is nothing without Madonna (or so she seems to think), the exhibit also includes several of the famous costumes he designed for her infamous Blonde Ambition tour. But bustiers are just a small (albeit important) part--it covers everything from punks to sailors to futurism, and all of it is exquisite and provocative. It will be interesting to compare with the Alexander McQueen exhibit at the Met, which, hopefully, I'll see this weekend; though both designers leave a lasting legacy of extraordinary fashion, both were considered the enfants terribles of their day. 1379 Rue Sherbrooke Ouest

To many, this coming Sunday, March 7th, is the Oscars. To me, it's the day Jean Paul Gaultier's Designer Collaboration hits Target. Racked National has a selection of images; some of the complete looks are a bit much, but there are many great pieces, such as this sunshiny yellow sundress.

Equally as exciting, a week later, Target drops its Liberty of London collaboration on Sunday, March 14th. The line is filled with swimsuits, rompers, accessories, and this fantastic maxi dress, all in the British department store's signature floral prints. (Are maxi dresses over? When they're as awesome as this one, who cares?) Check out a very robust preview at Refinery 29.

Racked NY was at Uniqlo this morning to cover the latest J+ arrivals; you can read their report here. As for Uniqlo's other designer collections, my friend The Shophound reports that this year's collaborations will be all Japanese designers, although whether they'll actually hit the Soho store remains to be seen. Then again, when you have Jil Sander, do you need anyone else?

Finally, if you haven't checked it out already, there's still plenty of inventory left in Narcisco Rodriguez's collection for eBay. Prices are a bit higher than the average masstige effort, however, this is Narcisco we're talking about, and, really, can you find a hotter dress than this for $250?

Soon after advertising images of Jean Paul Gaultier's collection for Target appeared last week, the lookbook was leaked to Refinery 29. They've since taken it down as per Target's wishes, but Racked still has it up! The collection is kind of all over the place but has many Gaultier signatures (sharp tailoring, stripes, tattoo prints). The styling is a little everything-but-the-kitchen-sink, but there definitely appear to be some standout pieces, like this trenchcoat at right. Gear up for March 7th, ladies.

Fashionista has slightly better-quality pictures of the Zac Posen for Target lookbook, which has a lot of very Zac flirty dresses and sexy one-piece swimsuits. Prices for this line appear to be a bit higher than usual, which only makes me hope this means they've used nicer fabrics than the last few collaborations, which suffered from major synthetic usage (ahem, Rodarte). This very summery dress (and several other worthy contenders) hit stores April 25.

It figures just when I write a MasstigeWatch post, big news drops the next day. Nevertheless, Fashionista reports that Tucker, designed by Gaby Basora, will be the next Go International designer, following Jean Paul Gaultier's designer collaboration in March and Zac Posen's Go collection in April (Fashionista estimates Tucker's line will hit stores mid-summer). This is significant for two reasons: 1) Tucker is probably the least-known designer yet that Target has selected (I will admit, I had to do a search to put an aesthetic with a name), and 2) Fashionista broke this news (usually Target leaks news to Women's Wear Daily). It should be noted that Fashionista has a new co-editor, Lauren Sherman, who, having worked at Forbes for years, likely has an extensive network of business-side fashion sources. I look forward to reading the new Fashionista.

And speaking of Target, the first camera-phone leaks of Jean Paul Gaultier's upcoming designer collaboration have hit the interwebs, via Fashin's live journal page. From what I can tell, it's stripes, jersey, trench coats...in other words, very Gaultier, and very promising (I hope). Gaulter hits Tar-zhay le 7 de Mars (or March 7th for those who ne parlent pas francais).

Finally, the latest installment of Jil Sander's +J collection for Uniqlo hit stores this morning, and the best coverage of what's available comes to you from Racked. Reportedly the spring collection will be rolled out gradually (as opposed to being dropped all on one day like fall's was), which will hopefully allow people like me a chance to buy something this time.

Proving the theory I espoused last month--that if a "rumor" about Target turns up in WWD, it's generally true--Target announced that Jean Paul Gaultier will indeed be its next designer collaboration [subscription required]. The collection hits 250 Target stores (and Target.com) March 7th; Anna Sui was in 600 stores, so this will be a much smaller distribution. The previous two designer collaborations, with Alexander McQueen and Sui, were both inspired by pop culture figures; as of now, no information is available on who Gaultier's inspiration will be. (Madonna, maybe?) I think Gaultier is an interesting choice for Target, which, until now has picked pretty hot and influential designers, from Proenza Schouler to Rodarte. Gaultier has a loyal following--and he is a master tailor, not to mention the first couturier to collaborate with Target--but I'd venture to say his influence peaked in the '90s. Then again, with the '80s-'90s revival that's been happening on the runways, perhaps it's time for a Gaultier renaissance.

And, I feel like I might have linked to this already, but The Cut has full images from the Jimmy Choo for H&M collection. I must say, I am sick of writing about this collaboration, and it doesn't hit stores for another three weeks. Still, the dresses (particularly the studded mini and the black maxi) are looking better than ever to me. Looks like I'll be standing in line after all.