harricana_chlorophylleF1005MONTREAL, Mar 3, 2010 / FW/ — Seeing Harricana and Chlorophylle together on the runway were boggling at first. Why would a furrier and a ski wear company team up?

The obvious answer is that both companies make cold weather clothes.

But, the collaboration between Harricana par Mariouche and Chlrophylle runs more than skin deep. Both companies are eco-conscious and they had been environmentally friendly long before it became a buzzword.

Harricana is not your normal furrier; Marioouche, the owner and designer of Harricana recycles fur. That was how she started in the fashion business and she had been doing it for 10 years.

“I entered a design contest but did not have enough money to buy new fur. I asked my mother if I can use her old fur coat as material and she agreed,” Mariouche told FashionWindows in an interview after the show. Mariouche won the contest and used her prize money for tuition in a Milan fashion school.

For Chlorophylle, being eco-conscious is finding environmentally-friendly fabric.

“It is not easy being green,” says Katy Bond, Product & Design Director of Chlorophylle. “Eco-friendly fabrics are usually more expensive than other fabric and there are fewer suppliers. But, for the past 30 years, Chlorophylle has stayed true to its commitment to the environment and it will continue to do it for years to come.”

Montreal Fashion Week Fall 2010

[MARI DAVIS]
Photos courtesy of Bureau de la mode de Montréal and Jimmy Hamelin