Student-organized events are a playground for creativity and innovation. Designers, unrestricted by large corporations or monetization, are instead fueled by true passion—or in this case, P[h]assion. P[h]assion is a non-profit organization at McGill that has fundraised over $150,000 CAD for various Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) foundations, including their primary partner AIDS Community Care Montreal (ACCM), thanks to events centred on fashion. On March 14, P[h]assion held its annual spring fashion show to help raise awareness and funds for ACCM. This year’s theme was “RITUAL.”
Alina Lu, U4 Management, and co-director of P[h]assion, explained the show’s theme in a written statement to The Tribune.
“For us, RITUAL is a journey through the experiences, spaces, and practices that shape daily life around the world [….] Some rituals are collective, rooted in culture, community, and shared belief. Others are deeply personal, unfolding in moments of solitude and everyday routine [….] It shapes identity, creates connection, and brings meaning to the ordinary.”
Lu and her colleagues aim to paint awareness onto a visual landscape, such as fashion, to encourage people to make contact with realities they would otherwise turn away from. By contributing to these creative events, either behind the scenes or as audience members, students learn to see art as a medium for change.
“Fashion is an art form that has always been inherently political, standing alongside and amplifying social movements throughout history including the AIDS movement of the 1980s,” Lu continued. “[Fashion] is both deeply personal and profoundly collective [….] In the context of the cause we stand for, history is especially meaningful. We are always intentional about honouring it and using P[h]assion as a platform to carry forward the legacy of those who used it as a tool for change.”
The runway, set in Centre St Jax, a church located on rue St. Catherine, solidified the show’s theme. The quiet light streaming through the stained glass and the arched reverberant architecture served as a backdrop for a collective religious identity formed through ritual. The community P[h]assion has built went hand in hand with supporting other communities, both Montreal designers and communities struggling with AIDS and HIV.
Alongside the setting, clothing pieces themselves are integral to the coming-together of any fashion show. One dress, from the collection of designer Maya Ginzburg, particularly stood out to //The Tribune//. The garment was held together by strings attaching black squares to make a long silhouette. The back was open, consisting only of thin black strings stretching between the two sides of the dress. The dress was beautifully intricate and seemingly fragile, reflecting the delicate nature of rituals themselves.
Lu highlighted an additional piece from the Maya Ginzburg collection.
“[Another] dress [highlighted] forest fires in Canadian [forests] using charred wood and wood heels, it’s such a beautiful piece intersecting fashion and nature.”
The evening’s theme tied directly to the club’s main goal of spreading awareness and generating support for HIV/AIDS.
“Rituals can foster empathy and understanding. By showcasing diverse stories and lived experiences through fashion, we want to humanize and bring visibility to the communities affected by HIV/AIDS,” Lu wrote.
“RITUAL” not only displayed but convinced audiences of the importance of P[h]assion’s mission to engage the McGill community in both art and social justice. Each collection offered its own unique perspective on the importance of the club’s cause, coming together to create a meaningful show representative of P[h]assion’s mission.