Fashion Week and Presenting my Final Collection

By Jessica Nepton-Chayer

Well, after two years, on September 13th, I can finally say it’s done. I had the opportunity to present my work alongside my classmates in a collective show. Four of my seven looks walked the runway in the school studios, while the remaining three were presented as part of a merchandising exhibition next to where the runway happened.

I won’t get into everything that happened behind the scenes, but I will say that it was exciting to see and participate in my work being presented in this way. At the same time, there were aspects of the experience that were disappointing to witness.

Regardless, I’m proud of what I made, what I learned, and what it took to get here. I’m very satisfied with my work and of how I was able to navigate my way through this master’s degree. Moving away and pursuing dreams I never thought were within the realm of what I could achieve has truly changed how I see the world.

Even though this is only a first step—and very much the beginning, at the bottom of the totem pole—I was able to prove to myself that I was ready for more and that I could do it.

Without further rambling, here are my four looks and the show notes that accompanied the collection from The Archetypes of La Chasse-Galerie.

Born from “La Chasse-Galerie,” a French-Canadian legend featuring flying canoes and pacts with the devil, this collection evokes the textures and tensions of the Canadian wilderness. The story’s central figures—the voyager, the logger, and the hunter—are forced to confront the harshness of winter, becoming protagonists in a story of desire, danger, and the unforgiving landscape. Tailoring becomes a form of shielding the body against the elements and a means of carrying and preserving their stories.

Garments are constructed through folds and wraps that contour the body. The overlapping pleats, a pattern-making technique conceived during the thesis, are produced by slashing and overcorrecting the fabric's positioning. This three-dimensional method is emphasized by a gridded, window-pane-plaid tweed from Scotland. Brushed alpaca, wool, and mohair are layered with leather and suede and offset by moments of lightness in flowing silk gauze and cotton voile. Carved, rippled, cherrywood, and 3D-printed canoe paddles appear as fastenings and embellishments. With a background in woodworking, Nepton-Chayer meticulously crafted these elements to emphasize the legend’s flying canoes, which are at the core of this collection. The designer included her signature Lake Bags, whose organic, uneven shape is inspired by lakes wedged between mountains. Custom paddle hardware repeated throughout the collection was developed in collaboration with industrial designer Michael Peel.

The Hunter/Le Chasseur

Twisted wool rope pullover inspired by the French-Canadian Métis arrowed sash and braided into the bodice, with canvas pants with an integrated wrap around the right knee skirt leather panel. Embellished with Preciosa Crystals beads.

The Devil

Over-the-shoulder wrap front tie coat in blue with matching blue faux fur lapel. With a cotton voile wrap skirt in matching pewter/teal blue. 

The Logger/Le Bucheron

Two-piece windowpane wool tweed work shirt with interlocking cape and draped pants, cherry wood double-head ripple paddle regalia acting as the closure bar of the two wings of the cape. Short brim cap and earmuffs.

The Winter/L'hiver

Two-piece skirt and tailored jacket in brushed alpaca, with a tailored overlapping gusseted pleat crossing the waist and looping into itself. Paired with a matching pointed brim hat. Embellished with Preciosa Crystals beads.

The Accessories, Bags & Shoes

I got three bags designed for the collection. Two include beautiful cherry wood closure elements—smaller versions of the paddle regailia from The Logger look. A bit more whimsical than my canvas and leather bag that you are used to, but still have the spirit of adventure my canvas bags have. I customized shoes by adding fabric from the collection to the moc toe piece of some loafers and adding a tassel of wired strands of Preciosa Crystal beads.