{"id":6212,"date":"2023-11-15T13:58:23","date_gmt":"2023-11-15T18:58:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/montrealcentreville.ca\/communiques-en\/vivre-le-centre-ville-entrevue-avec-jean-claude-poitras-createur-de-mode-enseignant-et-auteur\/"},"modified":"2024-02-22T16:02:00","modified_gmt":"2024-02-22T21:02:00","slug":"vivre-le-centre-ville-entrevue-avec-jean-claude-poitras-createur-de-mode-enseignant-et-auteur","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/montrealcentreville.ca\/en\/portraits-en\/vivre-le-centre-ville-entrevue-avec-jean-claude-poitras-createur-de-mode-enseignant-et-auteur\/","title":{"rendered":"Living downtown: interview with Jean-Claude Poitras, fashion designer, teacher, author"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Sometimes in life, we fall under the spell of a place. The resulting connection goes beyond the activity we carry out there, and deepens into a genuine heartfelt bond.<\/strong> Jean-Claude Poitras, a fashion designer from Montr\u00e9al and proud resident of downtown, fondly remembers his experiences of living and working in the neighbourhood that captivated him and where he has remained.<\/span> In an interview at the Restaurant Henri\u00a0\u2013 Brasserie Fran\u00e7aise<\/strong><\/a>, the designer openly discusses his happy memories of downtown, which he used to explore as a child and where he established his life and career.<\/span><\/p>\n

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A story of family and of a calling<\/b><\/h2>\n

As a child, Jean-Claude already wanted to move there. He loved visiting downtown with his mother and grandmother. They were fashionable women who enjoyed shopping in the neighbourhood. He was enchanted by the store windows and dazzled by the beauty of the major labels on Sainte-Catherine Street.<\/span> The designer remembers the Marshalls fabric store with fondness. It was like Ali Baba\u2019s cave, and it gave him a love for beautiful fabrics and creative work.<\/span><\/p>\n

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All my memories are connected with downtown. It\u2019s been my favourite playground since I was a kid.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n

Jean-Claude Poitras<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/section>\n\n\n\n

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For Jean-Claude, downtown has always been the perfect place, a place of discovery, of effervescence. There\u2019s no doubt in his mind that this gateway to the world led him to his profession. The city\u2019s iconic shop windows, both beautiful and bright, gave him a taste for fashion and mannequins. He landed his first job at the famed Eaton\u2019s. In 1976 he lived one of his dreams and worked for Canada\u2019s top manufacturer, established at the iconic Square Phillips.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Square Phillips, a key gateway<\/b><\/h2>\n

Jean-Claude has lived and breathed this public square for decades.<\/strong> Living just a few steps away, he crosses it almost daily, and the emotion attached to it has not waned with time.<\/span> This is where he organized his first impromptu fashion show on the street, where he built his career, and where he gave many a rendezvous to his friends.<\/span> For him, Square Phillips has always been THE gathering place, the essential springboard for exploring downtown.<\/strong> He is very fond of the place, its architecture, and its history. He loves sharing the square with loved ones and tells its story with passion.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Some iconic addresses continue to inspire him, like Brasserie Henri and the Birks Hotel. In his eyes, these establishments bring something unique to Montr\u00e9al, anchoring it at once in history and in modernity. <\/strong>For this worldly man who has travelled extensively in Europe\u2014and who admits to having picked up certain habits there\u2014Brasserie Henri stands proudly among the best Parisian brasseries.<\/span> \u201cYou feel good here, you can come for tea. It blends taste and style, which is a bit of a leitmotif for me in life. I feel completely at home here.\u201d<\/span> And the Birks Hotel symbolizes Montr\u00e9al\u2019s art de vivre. It\u2019s the living embodiment of an inspiring memory, a place that successfully reinvents itself by embracing tradition and modernity.<\/span><\/p>\n

Jean-Claude likes to watch people walk through the square and look up to admire the architecture. Over the years, he has discovered some of his favourite places and continues to be inspired by them.<\/span><\/p>\n

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I think the square has evolved very well, especially with this latest shift. It used to be a bit enclosed, but now you want to walk right in. I see all the people who sit there every lunchtime or relax on the benches. The terrasses make things even more lively.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n

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Downtown: worldly and homely<\/b><\/h2>\n

For Jean-Claude Poitras, Square Phillips is like \u201can oasis of all the best and most beautiful things Montr\u00e9al has to offer. Look at it from different angles, and you\u2019ll see its many faces.\u201d<\/strong> Because touring downtown is a bit like touring the world, one street at a time. Architecture, know-how, gastronomy: for the designer, who has lived downtown since the age of 22, downtown captures all the diversity and eclecticism that make the city unique.<\/span> It\u2019s a boundless source of inspiration for the well-travelled designer, who always returns to his roots.<\/span><\/p>\n

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My curiosity about the world and other cultures began because I would visit downtown often with my parents. [\u2026] I\u2019ve never left. It cradled me, it nourished me, it inspired me.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n

Jean-Claude Poitras<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/section>\n\n\n

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Living downtown?<\/h2>\n
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Find out more about your living environment and discover our suggestions for outings, activities and restaurants!<\/p>\n

Living downtown<\/span> <\/path> <\/svg> <\/span> <\/path> <\/svg> <\/span> <\/span> <\/a><\/p>\n

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