Simard primarily uses found materials, blending knits, chainmail, and various textures, crafting each garment with a mix of elegance and edge. She sources textiles from family collections, thrift shops, and her costume design projects, aiming to create fashion that’s personal and enduring. “I want to create with what I have available,” she tells RANGE, seeing sustainability as both a practice and a philosophy for transforming the fashion industry.Where are you right now?

I’m at work right now, I work one day a week at a cultural centre that offers free shows and art exhibitions.

When did you know you wanted to be a fashion designer?

I started sewing when I was like 12, so I’ve always made my own clothes. My dad’s an artist, so I think that I needed to find my own way of expressing myself. It came pretty naturally. He showed me how to sew, and when I graduated elementary school, my parents bought me a sewing machine. My high school was next to a Fabricville in east Montreal. Every Friday I would go buy fabric and on the weekend I would sew in my parents’ basement. And I just, I don’t know, that was the only thing I saw myself doing. I hated math and science, so I was just like, I’m going to be an artist.

How would you describe the style/nature of your designs to people unfamiliar with your work?

It’s evolved with time. If you look at my graduate collection, it’s very feminine. The theme was female nudity and it had a strong feminist message. And as time goes on, it stays feminine and delicate, but it gets more of an edge. I really like contrast and finding a balance with texture. My clothes are for creative people and people that want to have fun and be creative with how they dress.

How does living in Montreal impact your designs/design process?

I’m very influenced by my environment. When I graduated university, I moved to the Netherlands for two and a half years. I felt like the Netherlands was way too clean for me. I grew up in Montreal, so I’ve always loved the industrial, sort of dirtiness, in a city. I love Montreal. I like the smells, and how the seasons allow you to change. Having my support system here is also really helpful.

Who are some current fashion icons or houses that inspire you? 

I love the couture shows. Last year, Maison Margiela did their artisanal couture show, which was so beautiful and theatrical. That show is still an inspiration for me. I also watch a lot of historical movies for the costuming. One designer that comes to mind that I like is Collina Strada, they’re based in New York. I’m more-so inspired by how they operate as a brand.

Do you have a favourite historical movie?

Recently, I made a hat that was inspired by the movie Ever After with Drew Barrymore. It’s silly. But while I work, I like to put movies in the background, and I love that one. She has this big hat for beekeeping, so I made my interpretation of that for a friend of mine that’s doing a movie screening in Australia. She’s there right now, and I wanted to dress her for the carpet. In the aspect of creating contrast, it was making something huge that’s supposed to be warm and fluffy, but in a transparent material that’s very light. But it changes. I can’t have favourites. I don’t really have favourites.

You primarily work with found materials. Can you briefly discuss the process of sourcing and selecting these materials and how they creatively inform your designs?

I like to create with what I have available. I get gifted a lot of stuff. People give me fabric since I’ve been sewing for so long. I’m known as “the seamstress” in my family. My dad has a big family, so it’s sad, but when people pass away, I get all their stuff. It’s cool to also have an emotional connection to the material I use when I sew. I also get stuff at thrift shops a lot. Like for most of my knits, I find a big bobbin of yarn at a thrift shop. Not everything in my collections is reused, but as much as I can. Since I also work freelance making costumes for dance shows, movies, and some musicians. I often use leftovers from those. Also, recycling ideas, if I make a project and it inspires me, maybe I can reuse that in collections and pieces.

Since graduating from UQAM, how has your philosophy and design approach evolved?

I’m more into textiles now. I feel like I’ve sewn so much and I sew more-so for work now, like my costume stuff. So I like to explore other ways of constructing clothes, for example, knitting, or using chainmail. I want to control everything in my designs, and I want to make my own fabric. It’s also about finding balance. Over time, you get to know yourself as a creative person and discover what works best for you.

Specifically in your collection, Relik, how did you strike a balance between honouring historical references and creating something distinctly modern? Was that of importance to you?

I didn’t want it to feel costume-y. I found certain elements interesting, but I also wanted to deconstruct it. The aspects that I liked tended to be the clothing of people that were super rich and elite, and I wanted to make something more-so for everyone. It’s all about finding the balance. I used knits and chainmail that are considered technologies of those times and converted them into these tiny transparent dresses that contrast with the more puritanical ideas of that age. It’s not only confronting details from them, but also confronting their ideology.

What changes do you hope to see in the fashion industry regarding sustainability/ innovation, and how do you plan to contribute to that change?

Well, I think people need to be more self-sufficient. This starts with teaching more people how to sew, like repairing their stuff or just modifying it, so you can give it a new life. I also think it’s important to change the mindset of investing in things that are well made and will last for a long time. Also like dressing less for trends, but more for representing who you are.

What’s next for Jade Simard? Anything else you would like us to know about you?

I’m working on my new collection that I’m presenting on Nov 23. I think it’s called Stories. I’m not sure; I’m bad with names, but it’s, like Relik, going to be inspired by history, but mostly by childhood memories. It’s about play and wonder and the things that mark you when you’re a child and affect your creativity as you get older. For me right now, I’m obsessed with those “I Spy” books, you know, with all of those tiny things hidden in an image and you have to find them.

Jade Simard joins forces with Kaya Hoax for a hip-hop-infused runway showcase as part of M For Montreal on Saturday, Nov. 23 at Bar Le Ritz in Montreal, QC | TICKETS