Montreal – The latest edition of Première Vision Montréal has closed with organisers reporting strong business activity and growing interest from Canadian and wider North American fashion brands in regional sourcing and manufacturing options.
The show, positioned as a key platform for the Canadian fashion sector, again highlighted its role as a gateway to wider North American markets for knitted fabric, garment and manufacturing suppliers.
According to Première Vision, the event attracted a highly qualified audience of designers, sourcing teams and decision-makers, with many participants citing the quality of meetings and targeted exhibitor line-up as a key draw.
Organisers pointed in particular to a rising number of brands attending from Toronto and Ontario, suggesting the show is extending its influence beyond its traditional Québec base and consolidating Montréal’s status as a national meeting point for the industry.
Overall traffic surpassed 2,000 visitors, supported by 130 exhibitors covering materials, components and services for the fashion and apparel supply chain. Alongside the main show floor, a programme of 30 conferences, delivered by more than 50 expert speakers, attracted an audience of around 1,600 attendees, underlining ongoing demand for technical and strategic market insight.
Florence Rousson, chairwoman of the executive board of Première Vision and CEO of the Fashion Division of GL events Groupe, described the second Montréal edition as an important step in supporting new business in the region. “Supporting the market by fostering new business opportunities is at the heart of our mission, and this edition has once again demonstrated its relevance,” she said, adding that the organisation plans to reinforce its presence in Montréal with further projects.
A notable development at this edition was a broader opening towards manufacturing, in response to direct feedback from brands and buyers. By expanding the offer beyond fabrics and materials to include more production partners, the show aimed to provide a more complete overview of the supply chain from raw materials through to finished product. Exhibitors and visitors responded positively to this shift, citing better visibility of regional manufacturing options at a time when many brands are reassessing sourcing strategies.
Organisers emphasised that the expanded manufacturing presence was designed to meet current supply chain pressures, including lead-time optimisation, nearshoring considerations and the search for more resilient regional networks. For mills, garment makers and service providers, Montréal offered access to a concentrated audience of potential customers actively exploring adjustments to their sourcing mix.
The event also maintained a strong focus on sustainability and circularity, themes that continue to shape investment decisions across the fashion and textile value chain.
From a regional economic perspective, the show’s development is seen as contributing to Montréal and Québec’s positioning as hubs for fashion-related business tourism and creative industries. “Bringing together more than 2,000 industry players from here and abroad for this second edition marks an important milestone and signals great ambitions for the future,” said Mathieu St‑Arnaud Lavoie, Executive Manager of mmode – The Montreal Fashion Cluster, noting the wider economic impact of fashion and apparel activities in the province.
With solid visitor numbers, an expanded manufacturing offer and a programme strongly focused on business and sustainability, Première Vision Montréal’s latest edition suggests ongoing growth potential for the show. Organisers are now looking to build on this momentum in the run-up to future seasons, as Canadian and North American brands continue to review sourcing, manufacturing and innovation strategies in an evolving trade and economic environment.
