by RAF KATIGBAK

Although the phrase "I don't like stores and I don't like shopping" is a normal sentiment amongst your average Christmas shoppers, it's a funny thing to hear from one of Montreal's hottest young fashion designers. But then again, "normal" has never really been part of Susanne Schubert's vocabulary. "My parents are quite the eccentrics; they let me do whatever I want," she says. "I had lots of weird pets and lots of costumes. I spent half my childhood just running around pretending to be a princess or a pirate."

Born in Berlin, Schubert moved to Montreal from the States six years ago to study sculpture and design. After graduating with a minor in business a little over a year ago, and without any formal training, she started making clothes for herself. "Some of it's dressier than others, but it's stuff you can wear during the day and at night. Above all, it has to be comfortable." This winning combination of comfort and style has made Umsteigen one of the fastest-rising stars in Montreal's vibrant streetwear scene.

"I do a lot of silk-screening of different images and a lot of top stitching, all by hand," she explains. "It's kind of rough-looking - you can tell somebody did it by hand, with streaks everywhere and blotches. It's not too clean."

With her printed tops and bold yet flattering lines, Umsteigen is as fun as it is versatile. It's no wonder stylish boutiques like Fly, Lola & Emily and Glam have all signed up to carry the brand. Tailoring her lines to their feedback, Schubert's close relation to her stores is one secret to her success (Umsteigen outsold every other line in Fly Boutique last season). "I do small runs - 20 pieces of one thing and then I kind of change the pattern so it's never really all the same fabrics, colours or print. I really don't like clothing that's off the shelf. It's so controlled and marketed, it's so specific to a particular kind of idea and genre of people. I like the clothes to be expressive."

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