All about the braderies

Fairground season is normally in full swing at this time of year. Indeed, La Grande Braderie de Mode Québécoise produced by Anne De Shalla is one of the most popular fashion events for fashionistas and bargain hunters.   

Braderies: your know-how guide for this big sale

The Grande Braderie de mode Québécoise is held twice a year, in three regions of Quebec. (We'll use the word "braderie" in this post, which always refers to the Great Quebec Fashion Sale.)

Even though many of you know what we are talking about, when we discuss these events, we always have people asking us what it is... The word "braderie" in the Petit Larousse is defined as a " non-store event "by the merchants of a city". Well, that's not entirely right, but not entirely wrong either!

First of all, it is indeed a big sale. Each designer or fashion company prepares a booth or a pop-up store at the location chosen for the event (for example, the Casino du Lac Leamy in Gatineau) in order to present and sell its collections at a reduced price. Note that the event is not strictly reserved for Quebec designers, it is also open to Quebec companies. At Message Factory and OÖM Ethikwear we design and manufacture our clothing in Quebec, but it is not a requirement to design or manufacture locally to participate in the event.

Depending on the location, between 60 and 100 designers and fashion companies participate in each edition, which means that you can really find everything: women's ready-to-wear, menswear, children's fashion, coats, sportswear, accessories (hats, jewelry, etc.). Another interesting point is that you will be able to discover new emerging talents and benefit from extraordinary sales on major Canadian brands.

Back to promotions... Merchandise is normally 50%-80% off on all collections. But what exactly are we selling? Message Factory and Oôm Ethikwear present collections from past seasons, surplus inventory and also exclusive collections. Yes! Since the pandemic, like many other designers, we have been offering our new collections at regular prices during clearance sales. This allows our loyal customers to try and discover all of our new products.

These events are demanding for Quebec designers and their entire team. We work very hard during the Big Fashion Sale in Quebec and even several months in advance. Among other things, we participate in facilitating access to our products and making ourselves known to our consumers. Braderies are a great way to meet people, to listen to them, to explain who we are, to make them aware of the importance of buying local and ecological products. 

The event allows us to tell them where they can get our products for the rest of the year and let them know the names of retailers that sell Message Factory and in their area.

The underlying idea is not to compete with our own retailers, but to ensure that people know exactly where to go to find clothing designed and manufactured in Quebec or Canada. So if you want to include eco-friendly clothing in your wardrobe, learn more about the clothes you're buying, encourage local shopping and save big, take the time to visit one of the Braderies. 

For 2023, we will present our two brands Message Factory and OÖM ETHIKWEAR at the Braderie de Gatineau from April 6 to 8 and at the Braderie de Québec from April 20 to 23. Looking forward to meeting you there!

To conclude, we thought we would give you 3 tips to enjoy your experience: 

1) To get the first choice and the best offers, subscribe - you to our newsletter . We send VIP party invitations to those on our mailing list. Access to these evenings is limited. You can also buy tickets on the Braderie website and support the Equilibre foundation.

2) Wear a tank top and/or leggings to try on pieces faster. It will save you time; changing rooms can be busy and limited depending on the space of each designer booth.

3) We accept cash, debit and credit cards and taxes are included in prices, but you must validate with each designer. Some prefer cash. 

4) Bring your old Message Factory organic cotton clothes to give them a second life. 

5) Not available to visit any of the events? Check out our sale section on our website where you will find offers similar to the clearance sales during the event dates.