“Made from your mother’s old coat” is the mantra behind this Montreal-based designer who uses recycled fur coats to create hip, eco-minded clothing and accessories. Mariouche Gagné studied fashion design in Montreal before going oversees, first to intern in Paris and then to attend the famed Domus Academy design school in Milan where she received an M.A. in Design Management. A design competition sponsored by the Fur Council of Canada in 1993 prompted her to explore the potential of fur in fashion and, after winning second place with her reversible fur skiwear she began to draft her business plan. Fifteen years later Gagné remains at the forefront of both stylish and practical fur pieces for men and women. Fashionistas will appreciate her refined handbags, elegant stoles, and long gloves, while ski bunnies and the chalet-chic set will want to pick up her warm sweaters, vests, and snowmobiling gloves.
-Jessalynn Keller