MONTREAL, August 2, 2013 — In order to implement the brand new partnership between the Fashion & Design Festival (FMD) and the Quebec Forest Industry Council (CIFQ), Chantal Durivage, co-president of Groupe Sensation Mode, appealed to TUXEDO to create an exhibition space and a lounge on the FMD site. With DESIGN/WOOD as the theme, our mission was to showcase the potential of a union, although improbable at first glance, between these two very different industries.

For this first year of a three-year collaboration, we were provided with the raw material (wood) directly by the members of the CIFQ. The council committed to financing the planting of trees to compensate for the material used in the Festival project. Tuxedo then proceeded to develop a design that would give wood its proper place and justify its presence at this colourful event.

DESIGN/WOOD Terrace
The terrace allows festival-goers to take a break and converse in a symbolic sculptural universe that reflects the union between the fashion industry and this renewable resource that is simultaneously beautiful, versatile and environmentally-friendly.

“The idea of collaborating with the wood industry came to us during a discussion with the organizers of the London Design Festival, who suggested that we choose a material that would symbolize and identify us. Wood from Quebec, exposed as it is to our extreme climatic conditions, has its own particular hardness, resistance, grain and aroma. It is to Quebec what wine is to Bordeaux.” (Jean-François Daviau, Co-president of Groupe Sensation Mode and organizer of the FMD)

“This partnership between the forest industry and the Montreal Fashion & Design Festival aims to demonstrate the many uses of wood and its derivatives that are part of everyone’s daily lives, as well as the close relationship Quebecers have with this material. Wood’s huge innovative, ecological and design potentials make it a perfect fit for this event and the work of Quebec designers.” (André Tremblay, President and CEO of the CIFQ)

About TUXEDO
Tuxedo agency offers a full range of integrated and customized services in the field of marketing and creative support. Tuxedo is capable of delivering a global and elegant design approach, as well as unequalled strategic planning leading to tangible results. Tuxedo is a collective of high-caliber professionals whose varying skills and areas of expertise complement one another and who are at the cutting edge of emerging trends. For more information, visit www.agencetuxedo.com or write to us at info@agencetuxedo.com

(Branding strategy, Brand identity, Advertising, Custom publishing, WEB and interactive design, Content and digital strategy, Social media, Commercial design, Event creation, Philanthropy)

About the Fashion and Design Festival
The Fashion & Design Festival is a major annual celebration of creativity in downtown Montreal. This event, unlike any other in the world, offers a varied program that includes fashion and multidisciplinary shows, live creation, musical performances and design in real time. Nearly 50 shows highlighting renowned Canadian designers and the biggest international fashion brands are presented over a period of four days and nights. Makeup artists, hair stylists, fashion stylists, models and musicians contribute to the ambiance. A veritable platform for fashion trends, design, music and shopping, this event, created and produced by Groupe Sensation Mode, is the biggest happening of its type in North America. Visit www.festivalmodedesign.com for more information.

About the Move to Clean Carbon Campaign
The Move to Clean Carbon Campaign, sponsored by the Quebec Forest Industry Council, aims to inform the public about the innovative and environmental potential of products made from wood, a renewable material. A large number of applications that rely on the unique characteristics of wood are now possible. We see products that contain wood components everywhere: in the pharmaceutical industry, in agriculture, and in the automobile, aeronautics, or construction industries. www.carbonepropre.com showcases all these applications and envisions a future where products made of renewable materials will come to replace those made of non-renewable materials. The Move to Clean Carbon initiative belongs to all Quebecers striving for a cleaner future!