Brand new
second hand

On & On ecolo chic gives old clothes a chic new life

by CHRIS BARRY

Certainly one of the most pertinent questions that’s plagued mankind throughout history has been: just how does one dress with a concern for the environment yet still manage to look chic? Well, the 21st century might have finally brought humanity its answer: recycled clothes. With On & On ecolo chic, local designers Annie Langlois and Josianne Dubreuil have developed a line of unique clothing produced from 100 per cent recycled material with the intention of demonstrating to the world that “style, social and environmental concerns are not mutually exclusive.”

“We’re concerned with the environment, but in a good way, a chic way,” says Dubreuil, a graduate of the fashion marketing program at LaSalle College. “A lot of people want to protect the environment, but they don’t want to be stuck with that granola look, or they don’t want to associate themselves with the vintage clothing look. So what we’re doing is giving people a chance to buy an item of clothing and say to themselves that they’ve made a difference.”

Dubreuil feels that in the past few years Montrealers have developed a better understanding of recycled clothes, perhaps realizing that purchasing recycled doesn’t necessarily mean buying somebody’s leftover old socks furnished with a new dye job. “Vintage clothing has never been that popular in Montreal, compared to cities like New York, L.A. or London. But what we’re doing with On & On ecolo chic is completely different. We take old clothes and give them a second life. We’re selling a high-end product.”

One-of-a-kind finds
According to Dubreuil, one major appeal of On & On ecolo chic is that each item of clothing she sells constitutes an original design. “Really,” continues Dubreuil, “it’s all about owning a totally unique piece of clothing. We’re cutting every item. Nothing is done on an assembly line and nothing looks like patchwork. I mean, we may work with a couple of similar units, for example, a beige bomber jacket, but no two of them are going to look the same when we’re done. It requires a lot of inspiration and creativity to do this.”

Prices for said bomber jacket at the On & On ecolo chic boutique, niftily located at the Espace Pepin art gallery on St-Paul West in Old Montreal, will run you about $200, or $400 if you want one with fur on it. Shirts are in the $75-85 range, and pants start at around $120. “It’s all very affordable,” says Dubreuil. “For a unique piece of clothing especially. I mean, it’s almost haute couture what we’re doing.”

For the time being, Dubreuil and Langlois are only offering a women’s line out of their St-Paul location, but expect that to change as they inch ever closer towards securing national distribution for their On & On ecolo chic line. Eventually, Dubreuil hopes, a national chain of boutiques featuring their inimitable designs will follow.

On & On ecolo chic is available at Espace Pepin (350 St-Paul W.), or call them at their atelier, 840-901

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