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THE INSEAM VOL. 33: MYRIAM LAROCHE

Vancouver is home to a thriving fashion industry made up of individuals committed to its growth and success. Get to know these personalities in The Inseam and discover what makes the Vancouver Fashion scene so awesome.
 Vancouver is home to a thriving fashion industry made up of individuals committed to its growth and success. Get to know these personalities in The Inseam and discover what makes the Vancouver Fashion scene so awesome. Every month, The Inseam's Eco Edition focuses on the innovators that shape the green movement in local fashion.

Photo: courtesy Peter Hoist

Even before the City’s declaration to become the greenest in the world, Myriam Laroche was on a mission: to change the way people buy, use and dispose of their apparel. A self-confessed former clothing junkie herself, Myriam is now a poster child for recovering fashion addiction and is changing the way we think about clothing.  Using her knowledge and experience from every part of the fashion industry and her passion for sustainability, Myriam founded Eco Fashion Week in Vancouver in 2009.  With a vision far above and beyond the eco runway, Myriam is destined to change how fashion impacts our planet.

Jessica McIlroy: Where are you from?

Myriam Laroche: I’m from an island close to Quebec City. I moved to Vancouver in February of 2007.

JM: What brought you to Vancouver?

ML: I needed a change, and I wanted to start my own business.  But I wanted to improve my English and I had a choice between Vancouver and Toronto and I thought that Vancouver would be a bigger change, which it is because the West Coast and East Coast are literally two planets.

JM: Have you always been interested in fashion?

ML: Yes, I studied fashion. I dressed Barbies until I was 14, and I wore my mom’s clothes when I was in elementary school. I was putting on make-up in third grade. Fashion has always been a part of my life.  Eighteen years now I’ve been part of the fashion industry.

JM: What was your first job in fashion?

ML: For my first paid job, I was studying fashion merchandising and I was a sales person, slash, inventory, cashier, merchandiser, when I was 17.

JM:  We often hear criticism of Vancouver’s fashion industry, how established or big it is, but do you think that presents a niche for eco fashion?

ML: Yes. I moved from the oldest city in North America, Quebec City and, last year, Vancouver  turned  125 years old.  Vancouver is a young city, a teenage city.  And when you are a teenager what do you do, you imitate people because you are trying to find your own identity. So I think the fashion industry here was trying to be New York, Toronto,  or Montreal, and not just Vancouver.  And that is what we want to do here.  Let’s grow up. Let’s start being an adult city, pick our niche and be bold.  The ratio of talented people I have been meeting in this city over the last five years is very high.  There is a way to see things in a healthy way here, like nowhere else in the world.  I can say that right now it is a hub for eco fashion internationally.  People from around the world are contacting us.  So I think that we are doing a good job.

JM: Who are you loving in eco fashion right now?

ML: I have to be honest that I have been a bit out of the loop regarding the runways of regular fashion.  I kind of had to disconnect myself, and 80 percent of my wardrobe is second hand clothing.  This is what I passionate about. But of course I love wearing Nicole Bridger, I love designers like Melissa from Adhesif.  She takes like a silk scarf and makes an amazing blouse.  F as in Frank now has a line that does that too.  I love when there is a story behind the clothes.  You have some designers like Malene Grotrian, she doesn’t have that many eco friendly fabrics, but every piece, you can wear it three or four different ways. For me that’s very eco. Instead of buying four pieces, you buy one and wear it four different ways.

JM: So you love the “reuse” part of the 3 Rs?

ML: Yes, we need to be more conscious of the amount of clothing we buy and the waste it produces.

JM: And so you are obviously passionate about second hand clothing.  Do you find that it is a hard thing for people, to get over the connotations and feelings associate with used clothing?

ML: Yes, people just think of it as dirty and they hate the smell.  I love it, I walk in to a second hand store and embrace it!  It is very important that we re-think how we feel about used clothing.  There are great eco fashion designers creating new things, but we need to find a balance between the amount of new and second hand clothing we buy, the quality and durability of it. I was one of those girls who had the tank tops in every colour and wore things once.  And so I know that if I can change, anyone can.

JM: Can you share anything on what we can look forward to at the next Eco Fashion Week in October?

ML: You have to wait and see!  But I hope to be able to use Robson Square again, but I want to use more of the space surrounding as well - like the Art Gallery and cafes and shops nearby. I want to create more of an experience.  I’d love to see elements of health and well-being tie in.  And we want local musicians and artists, so contact me if you are interested!  It is going to be great.