MONTREAL, Mar 5, 2010 / FW/ — A visit to the Philippe Dubuc boutique at rue St Denis turned out to be a pleasant afternoon with the designer and his best friend Gaspar, a tuxedo poodle who as it turned out is also the store’s mascot.
Being a dog lover, I had to “speak” with Gaspar first before I could interview Philippe Dubuc, who good naturedly waited for me until my talk with Gaspar was done. With our common love to man’s best friend as an ice breaker, it was a smooth transition from puppy talk to business.
To those who follow the Paris menswear scene, Philippe Dubuc is a familiar name. Like most designers, when the global credit crunch hit, Philippe had to be conservative in his spending and this led to his decision to start showing in Montreal.
His conservative approach paid off though. Currently, Philippe is building his second boutique which will be located in Quebec City.
“The concept will be similar to this one,” Philippe Dubuc gestured, meaning the boutique we were in. “It is being designed by the same architect, Gilles Saucier of Saucier & Perotte Architects.”
The decision to hire the same architect was not just sentimental, but actually very logical. The rue St Denis location had been featured in the book, “Very Small Shops”, a book that brings together some of the best recent, innovative examples of small store designs from around the world. So why mess with perfection?
PHILLIPPE DUBUC Boutique
4451 rue St Denis
Montreal, QC H2J 2L2
www.dubucstyle.com
Montreal Fashion Week Fall 2010
[MARI DAVIS]
Photos by Mari Davis