Trade tensions and diversification: Première Vision Montréal gears up for second edition

After a successful inaugural event last year, French-founded trade fair Première Vision (PV) is returning to Montréal for a second edition to continue solidifying the union between North America and the EU.

The event’s Canadian edition was developed with Montréal’s Fashion Cluster (mmode), which has been building its relationship with the fair’s organiser GL events for a number of years. This partnership has only strengthened in the wake of the current trade climate, with uncertainties surrounding tariffs and duties escalating upon the appointment of Donald Trump as US president last year.

Such tension is defining the business landscape and pushing global companies to rethink their international operations. PV Montréal’s first edition, therefore, arrived at an appropriate time, offering Canadian and international companies a route to the North American market that allowed them to bypass heightened tariffs.

Mmode itself is also in a period of diversification, pursuing stronger ties with other regions, particularly in the EU, to ensure less of a dependence on the US, which is currently the recipient of 80 percent of Canada’s exports. Though Mathieu St-Arnaud Lavoie, executive director of mmode, acknowledges that the US will remain the main market for Canada, he also recognises the need to expand horizons.

Speaking to FashionUnited, he said: “We cannot base growth on the US market alone. You need to seek a diversified supply chain and sales funnel. Establishing a relationship with an EU partner therefore makes sense. PV is a very strong European partner that has helped us check off that box.”

St-Arnaud Lavoie is running the Montreal edition alongside Thierry Langlais, PV’s vice president of operations, who oversees PV’s North American activities, including its biannual New York show, and manages regional engagement with the Paris and Milan editions.

Now, PV Montréal is scaling up following a strong debut. The first edition brought in over 2,200 visitors and more than 100 exhibitors, and already represented a variety of sectors, from trimming and design to leather. Partnerships with local universities were further established to encourage knowledge sharing.

This year, PV is expecting close to 140 exhibitors, with 1,300 visitors already pre-registered, a figure that is expected to eventually surpass 2,500. Akin to the inaugural event, the fair will return to Grand Quay at the Port of Montréal, taking place from April 21 to 22.

Why Montréal? Why Quebec?

The decision to expand into Canada was driven by sustained interest from Canadian buyers attending PV’s New York and Paris shows. Over several years, Langlais conducted market visits, meeting local weavers, manufacturers and brands, ultimately identifying Montréal as a viable and strategically relevant host city.

Historically, Montréal itself has maintained a strong position as a manufacturing hub, with more than 50,000 fashion-related jobs in the greater metropolitan area. “Quebec was a main player in terms of weaving and manufacturing in North America, and that influence is coming back,” Langlais noted.

In the current geopolitical context, Canada offers a distinct strategic advantage. With trade agreements in place with both the EU and the US, the country can function as a bridge between the two markets, providing a duty-efficient entry point into North America for European companies.

Langlais further described Quebec as the “Portugal of North America” in manufacturing terms, pointing to its competitive labour costs, favourable currency conditions and concentration of specialised suppliers. From knitters to weavers to circle stitching and hybrid crafting techniques, the region presents a mix of traditional expertise and modern capabilities. Many Canadian brands continue to source locally, reinforcing its relevance within the supply chain.

Defining the mission: connecting scale and creativity

Beyond geography, PV Montréal intends to position itself as a platform responding to structural shifts among the global fashion industry. “While the Canadian market has grown tremendously, trends we are seeing internationally are also being seen here: big brands are overshadowing the mid-tier marks, and department stores are reducing their speed. You also have a huge wave of young designers emerging globally,” Langlais explained.

PV’s role, he added, is twofold, defined by the need to support large-scale sourcing while simultaneously enabling emerging brands to scale. This includes facilitating access to suppliers with lower minimum order quantities and developing more agile manufacturing pathways.

The broader ambition is for PV to serve as a vehicle to reposition Montréal as a “great fashion city” on the global stage. This is being reinforced through cultural integration, including the involvement of Cirque du Soleil, which, for the coming edition, will showcase costumes sourced in Paris as part of a cross-market narrative.

Categories and sourcing dynamics

PV Montréal’s April timing places it strategically between seasons, helping position the event as a sourcing destination rather than a conventional buying fair. For the second edition, organisers are focused on “verticalising” the offer, bringing together weaving, manufacturing, trims, leather and design studios into a more integrated ecosystem.

At the same time, the exhibitor mix increasingly spans Europe and Asia, balancing quality, volume and price positioning to serve both emerging names and large-scale brands. While still early in its lifespan, Langlais said there were also early signals of future category expansion, including potential movement into sportswear, though this remains longer-term.

Quebec’s existing manufacturing base underlines the fair’s relevance. The region still employs between 15,000 and 18,000 workers in cut-and-sew production. According to St-Arnaud Lavoie, the most successful exhibitors will be those able to meet demand for small-to-medium MOQs at mid- to high-end price points, aligning with the needs of local manufacturers and brands.

This positioning also ties into current supply chain challenges. With sourcing shifts typically slow and complex, PV Montréal is presenting Canada as a potential intermediary production hub. By cutting and sewing in Canada, companies can achieve ‘Made in Canada’ status, allowing goods to enter duty-free into the US under existing trade agreements.

From sustainable discourse to implementation

Sustainability and ethical production remain key pillars of the event, though St-Arnaud Lavoie noted that the industry is still in a relatively early stage of adoption. For mmode, the focus must shift towards accountability, questioning where garments are produced, under what conditions, and with what environmental impact. This includes addressing concerns around forced labour, traceability and resource use.

PV’s role in this is largely curatorial. All exhibitors are vetted through a selection committee, providing what Langlais describes as a “label of warranty” for sourcing. “We want people to stop talking about it and start doing it,” he said. “At the show, we provide all the tools to make sure people can actually apply what we’ve been talking about for the past 20 years.”

The programme reflects this through 27 talks covering sustainability, infrastructure and tariffs. The fair will also present its signature colour wall for SS27, developed through collaboration with spinners, weavers and industry experts.

Emerging talent remains integral to PV. This year, students from five universities have upcycled vinyl banners from the first edition into 18 garments, combining them with recycled denim. The initiative not only promotes circular design but also serves as a recruitment platform, with a prize awarding the winner a trip to Paris.

Measuring success and long-term outlook

For PV, success is defined by connection. “I have so many stories about people that were neighbours at the fair, or a brand and another supplier, that we have brought together and now they are partnered. That’s a success story to me,” Langlais said.

Data-wise, early indicators for the second edition are already strong. Participants range from small designers to large brands, as well as manufacturers, private label retailers and fashion schools.

While the fair primarily serves Quebec-based companies, interest is expanding geographically. The number of buyers from the US and Canada’s West Coast is expected to increase, further reinforcing Montréal’s emergence as a sourcing destination.

“Almost every company, small or large, despite having different sourcing habits, are changing because people are trying to be closer to home,” St-Arnaud Lavoie said. “We are therefore drawing in more and more companies at any level.”