Sophie Grégoire-Trudeau announces choice for quintessentially Canadian look
The White House State Dinner on March 10 will host a group of the most powerful people in the world, including politicians, celebrities, and guests of honour Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Sophie Grégoire-Trudeau. With the state dinner fast approaching, the pressure is on for Sophie to don an impeccable outfit by a Canadian designer.
Across Canada tensions are rising in the media and public, as people are recognizing the significance of this decision to Canada’s global reputation. Top fashion designers coast to coast have offered their input and designs, and after a grueling, month-long process, Sophie, along with a four-piece fashion expert panel, have narrowed down the competition from ten finalists to one winner and two runners up.
The winning outfit is a Canadian flag-dyed tuxedo, submitted by Montreal-based designer Louis Lamontagne. The outfit is to be paired with red heels and a red-and-white striped clutch. It’s a quintessential Canadian piece that not only shies away from subtlety, but also manages to portray elegance and class.
When asked about his win, Lamontagne said, “Nothing screams Canada quite like denim-on-denim and our national flag.” Luckily for him, Sophie agreed.
Second-place runner-up Lisa Kwok from Vancouver, British Columbia, congratulated Lamontagne on his victory. “I thought Lamontagne’s design was ingenious. My creation, a cream-coloured, sleeveless, full-length gown covered in mini beavers, maple leaves, hockey sticks, and Tim Hortons products, clearly pales in comparison to his.”
Alison Smith, third-place winner from Halifax, Nova Scotia, was surprised that her design made it so far. “An A-line, flannel dress with a beaver-printed belt cinched at the waist seemed like a good idea at the time,” said Smith. “But after seeing the winning and runner-up designs, I knew I could have done more. Maybe a pair of snowshoes combined with the dress might have gotten me first place.”
While Lamontagne’s design may have stood out as the clear winner, one panelist felt that the competition was a tight race between the final three. Sara Jurić, fashion designer and editor-in-chief at classycanuckmagazine.ca, has been in the judge’s seat more than a few times with her experience in the Canadian fashion industry, but of all the competitions that she has judged she claimed that this was the most difficult.
“My vote ultimately went to Lamontagne because his design managed to encapsulate Canada as a whole, while Kwok and Smith only addressed certain areas of Canadian culture.”
From Canadian tuxedos and flannel dresses, to etched images of iconic Canadian items, one thing is clear: Sophie is determined to “out-Canadian” herself. Never mind asking Sophie her opinion about important issues affecting Canadians, when she can represent us in the clothes she wears. For the White House state dinner, a Canadian flag dyed Canadian tuxedo should suffice.
