Review of the 2024 edition of the Summer School - Sustainable and Eco-friendly Clothing

The main objective of the summer school organized by Vestechpro from June 3 to 12, 2024 was to train and equip college and university students in principles and practices conducive to the ecological transition of the fashion sectorclothing, a more than topical issue for this industry.

Review of the business in a few key figures:

• 36 hours of training
• 10 students with a passion
• 16 speakers, panelists and presenters
• 8 visits to workshops and organizations in Montreal

Train the next generation in news issues

During the six days of the event, eco-responsibility was addressed in six different areas: responsible sourcing, design, production, sales, marketing communication and consumption.

A diversified learning formula combining conferences, panels and workshop visits

To illustrate each of these themes and encourage exchanges around them, our learning formula combined conferences, panels and company visits.

Speakers joined the Vestechpro team specialists throughout the event to discuss various actionable circularity strategies, as well as issues around the implementation of sustainability and eco-responsibility in the apparel industrytextile. 

We were fortunate to welcome experts from Synergie Montréal and PME MTL Est-de-l'Île, the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) and Vestechpro.

Important actresses and actors from the Montreal textile industry also mobilized to share their stories, challenges and realities through panel discussions.

Participants were thus honoured to exchange with a range of relevant stakeholders, including: Mélissa Bolduc of Melow par Mélissa Bolduc, Lise Rossignol of Firebag MTL, Elisa C-Rossow for her eponymous brand, Philippe Gagnon and Noémie Lebrun of Attraction, as well as Sarra Ghribi of Loue 1 Robe.

Photo gallery - École d'été 2024 by Vestechpro

Two days were also dedicated to visits to workshops and organizations that implement sustainable and environmentally responsible practices in the Montreal area.

These organizations were able to present the group studying the actions and concrete gestures they adopt within their operations as well as their manufacturing processes.

We were able to count on the welcome and hospitality of: atelier b, Atelier Retailles, Odeyalo, SDC District Central, 1ER MAI, Renaissance, Cirque du Soleil and Vestechlab.

Beyond the training, conferences and visits, students have the opportunity to make their learning concrete through workshops throughout the Summer School.

In the company of experts and invited experts, the reflections from these workshops were presented during a 5 to 7 closing session. The workshops and 5 to 7 were a good time for students to think about solutions for tomorrow’s industry, ask questions and network.

Acknowledgements

We would like to extend our sincere thanks to the speakers, panelists and all those involved in organizing the event:

• Mélissa Bolduc, Melow par Mélissa Bolduc

• Ambre Creux-Martelli et Stéphanie Yates, Université du Québec à Montréal

• Elisa C-Rossow, Elisa C-Rossow

• Amandine Dubé et Laurence Ouellette, Lauréates du Concours Cirque du Soleil

• Philippe Gagnon et Noémie Lebrun, Attraction

• Sarra Ghribi, Loue 1 Robe

• Adèle Mongeau, Daphné Mongeau et Jean-David Perron, PME MTL – Synergie Montréal

• Lise Rossignol, Firebag MTL

• Paule Bégin, Élodie Boulanger, Audrey Coulombe, Juliette Fournier-Brisebois, Enora Gauchin, Stéphanie Lenne, Adam St-Laurent, Ramzi Tebai, Vestechpro

As well as companies and organizations that have opened their workshops and organizations to us:

• Valérie Desjardins, Suzanne Paradis et Claudia Petta, Cirque du Soleil

• Anne-Marie Laflamme, atelier b

• Ysaline Lannes, 1ER MAI

• Marie-Ève Proulx, Odeyalo

• Sophie P-Voyer, Atelier Retailles

• Renaissance

• Mia van der Heyden, SDC District Central

• Special thanks to Juliette Fournier-Brisebois, project manager at Vestechpro, for the design and implementation of the project.