Where in Montreal can you pull together an outfit from vintage couture, an original piece from local designers such as Georges Lévesque and Censure, and items from small independent international brands like Mademoiselle? Mother-daughter duo Isabelle Spellmaker and Bilbo Carignan have created just that with their Mont-Royal Avenue East boutique Les Folles Alliées, which is teeming with period clothing dating back all the way to the Victorian era, as well as costumes and a sprinkle of prêt-à-porter.
“We mostly carry women’s clothing, but we have a rather interesting selection for men, including vintage Dior suits, some tuxedos, very dressed-up, dandy-looking stuff like jackets with swallow tails. Women can peruse a large selection of evening wear and beautiful, handmade Victorian and Charleston dresses—some of which are beaded with pearls—but also lots of casual ready-to-wear, accessories and jewellery,” Isabelle explains. “And finally, we have a lot of costumes, which we supply to theatre and film productions, such as 2013’s Louis Cyr, for example.”
