Montreal is the quintessential urban melting pot. For centuries the francophone Canadian capital city has attracted a diverse group of immigrants.
A bustling metropolis often criticized for its harsh winters, the city boasts numerous local delights: a scenic, mountainous namesake park, historic Old Port, and poutine (a classic Quebecoise concoction of French fries, cheese curds, gravy and whatever else one’s heart desires). Thus, it’s no wonder the likes of Mexican-born fashion designer Renata Morales has chosen to call the captivating city home.

With local bands from Arcade Fire to Wolf Parade having won the collective heart of the music industry, Montreal’s burgeoning music scene has garnered international attention. But equally noteworthy is its fashion scene. Local lines like Morales’ eponymous label are fast sweeping the international fashion community, and for good reason: In Morales’ case, a uniquely vibrant palette combined with a delicate yet structurally adventurous silhouette make for covetable, wearable garments . And considering, in addition to making fantastic clothes, Morales happens to be an especially cool chick, we pegged her for the perfect Montreal tour guide. She happily obliged, treating psychoPEDIA to her secrets for vintage shopping, art browsing, and, of course, poutine:

What’s the best thing about living in Montreal?
There are too many things. It’s a cosmopolitan city that sometimes feels like a little town. It has the best of both worlds. It’s partly mountainous and partly on the water. It’s quite diverse, with many different cultures. There are fabulous shows, live music every night. Apart from winter… and it’s not really a bad city for winter.

Depending on who you ask…
What happens is, it’s horrible [laughs], but there are a lot of places where you can go underground. If you take public transportation, it connects to a lot of places underground. So, it’s not really a city that dies in the winter. It’s alive all year round. And in summer, everyone is naked in the park, going surfing, swimming. In the winter people are cross-country skiing.

How would you describe Montreal’s current fashion scene? Has it changed much in the last five or ten years?
For good or for bad?

Either …
It used to be more of a manufacturing city. With the market changing so much, the level of competition has changed. So a lot of people have gone to China and Asia. A lot of larger manufacturers have closed their doors. There have been younger people that want to keep producing here, and who are finding ways to produce here in Montreal. There has been a little bit of a rebel movement. There are seven fashion schools in Montreal; they keep popping out students. So, some are them are staying here and find new ways to compete.

What are some of your favorite places to shop?
There’s a store not too far from my studio called Reborn. They sell Opening Ceremony, Complexe Geometry, Rick Owens. I really like U&I. on Saint-Laurent; they have Comme des Garcons mixed with different designers. The guy who runs it imports from all different places. I really like the aesthetic of the store. Holt Renfrew is comparable to Barneys. I like going there too. And there’s a great shoe shop called Mona Moore. They used to have all the crazy shoes. They’ve gotten a bit more tame, but their selection [which includes Balenciaga, Nina Ricci and Dries Von Noten] is still nice. There are some good consignment shops as well. There’s one on Saint Denis – Memento. They bought all the old costumes from the CBC [Canadian Broadcast Corporation]; they have great stuff.

Where’s best for people-watching?
People-watching is fun in Mont Royal park on Sundays. In the summer there’s this crazy medieval fighting. It’s just a melting pot of people. There are a lot of young people. You have people fighting each other with these crazy costumes, some people playing the drums…

Any other great places to camp out, and soak in the sun come the weekend?
In Saint Vitare they have this great coffee shop, Olympico . Olympico is my hangout. There’s a Polish food shop across the street that sells amazing pea soup and borscht. During the summer people sit outside having coffee for hours. It’s a melting pot of students, musicians, and older people, and the coffee is delicious. There are also two markets in Montreal – Marché Jean Talon and Marché Atwater. They’re food markets and they have flowers, and all kinds of different things. They have a lot of local produce - people that make cheese, people that make syrup and all kinds of jam. Talon is crazy for fish. It’s really worth going to the markets.

Do you have a favorite place for poutine?
I’m terrible. My favorite, and not everyone agrees with me, is Frite Dorée on St-Laurent. It’s kind of in the red light district, a very raunchy area. I like the Italian poutine. It’s got the meat sauce on it. If I’m out late, it’s gonna suction me in. It’s an institution. Or, try La Banquise on Rachel. It’s famous for its large selection of poutines and it’s open 24 hours a day.

Any other eateries that are especially good for indulging?
Club Chasse et Peche : that’s a more expensive restaurant that’s really worth going to. The food is spectacular; it’s made with local produce. The co-owner Hubert Marsolais is one of my best friends and I made a woven piece for the entrance that’s sort of like a drape. It also has art by Nicolas Baier, a great local photographer, and looks a bit like a grotto. And Cocoa Locale on Park Avenue right off the mountain – it’s run by this crazy chick Rima, who knows everybody in Montreal. She makes delicious chocolate and spiced cupcakes with flowers and it’s really a crazy little place. It’s a bit addictive.

What hotel would you recommend?
A lot of people love Le Germain. There’s also a newly renovated hotel that’s from a very famous architect here in Montreal called the Opus. It’s a boutique hotel that’s kind of modern but not minimalist. They have some really good restaurants. Personally, right now I’m more into old school hotels. I love theRitz Carlton, but they’re closing it for renovation.

What museums and/or galleries are a must-see? Definitely the MAC and the Musée des Beaux Arts [which is currently showing an Yves Saint Laurent exhibition]. If you want to go see galleries there’s the whole Belgo Building on Saint-Catherine Street. It’s filled with galleries;Rene Blouin is one of the most famous.

What are three tourist traps that a first-time visitor shouldn’t miss?
Well they have to come to the Old Port of Montreal. The Botanical Garden is quite amazing. And to go all the way to the top of Mont Royal to the lookout – it’s beautiful.

Go There:
Renata also recommends La Sala Rossa- a concert venue and restaurant; Pop Montreal- a famous festival and year-round organization; Blue Skies turn Black- great local concert promoters; and DHC ART Foundation- an art foundation that is always free, open late and currently showing “Take care of yourself,” by Sophie Calle (a piece that represented France at the 2007 Venice Biennial).

~ Alisa Gould-Simon