Marie Saint Pierre

Marie Saint Pierre

 Marie Saint Pierre, fashion designer (b at Montréal 25 Aug 1961). The influence of her mother and a love of art were what inspired Saint Pierre to embark on a career in fashion. She holds both a diploma in arts and communications from Collège Brébeuf (1981) and a diploma in fashion design from Collège LaSalle (1986) in Montréal. In 1987, Marie Saint Pierre Design Inc was established and quickly launched the career of a designer who would become known for her avant-garde textures, architectural lines and neutral-based colour palette.

In 1989 Saint-Pierre became the first Québec designer to participate at the Fashion Coterie of New York. Three years later she presented her collection in Singapore. In 1995 Saint Pierre became the first Canadian to stage a show at Collections Créateurs in Paris, France and was awarded Designer of the Year by Elle Québec. The following year she introduced her line to the United States at the fall 1996 New York collections (March 1996).

In addition to achieving global success, Marie Saint Pierre created the Sous Zéro fund in 2004 to provide greater assistance to women and children in need. Based in her hometown, the program provides winter clothing to those in need during the colder months. Since its launch, the Sous Zéro fund has assisted close to 2000 residents and continues to thrive through Saint Pierre's continued support.

In 2006, Saint Pierre launched her Behind the Scenes Fashion Collection, a limited edition line of Bratz dolls made for children.

In 2008, the designer was chosen by Prêt-à-porter to present her collection in Paris, enabling the brand to reach global buyers. The following year, the Marie Saint Pierre Wedding Line was launched - a collection of 40 timeless dresses that were presented at the Salon de la Marièe Wedding Tradeshow in Montréal. In addition, the label entered several new categories, including jewellery, bags, scarves and seasonal accessories - all produced in-house by the Saint Pierre design team. In 2010, the designer announced the launch of two new additions to the brand: a self-titled fragrance and a home accessories collection. The brand has also extended its reach with the production of uniforms for various organizations including the MUSÉE D'ART CONTEMPORAIN and the chamber orchestra I MUSICI DE MONTRÉAL.

Presently, Saint Pierre retails in two flagship locations in Montréal and in specialty boutiques around the world including Canada, the US, Hong Kong, and Kuwait. The Marie Saint Pierre brand is proudly designed and produced in the province of Québec, from where operations, wholesale and financing of its multiple categories are managed.

Marie Saint Pierre has received many awards, among them an honorary scholarship from the Montreal Fashion Group (1986); the Woolmark Canada Award (1990); and the Vidal Sassoon Buyers' Choice Designer of the Year Award - Toronto Ready-To-Wear (1995). She has also received a nomination as the Rare Pearl by the Montréal Chamber of Commerce for her community involvement (2002), the YWCA Woman of Distinction award for her entrepreneurship in Québec (2006) and the title of Chevalier de L'ORDRE NATIONAL DU QUÉBEC which recognizes her positive impact on the province (2007).