The Vainqueur Podcast

Allison Dunne has emerged as one of the more conceptually rigorous voices within Canada’s emerging fashion landscape, developing a practice that resists conventional expectations of what clothing is meant to do. Working out of Vancouver under her label Dunne Cliff, she approaches garments not as finished products, but as ongoing discourse—what she describes as “clothing as essay.”

Over the past three years, Dunne has built a body of work defined by hand-made production and narrative construction, drawing from her upbringing in rural British Columbia while interrogating broader tensions between craft and mechanization, history and technolo...

Première Vision’s return to Montréal marks a significant recalibration in how fashion’s global supply chain is evolving. As brands face increasing pressure to move faster, source smarter, and operate with greater proximity, the role of regional hubs like Montréal between Europe and North America is beginning to shift.

For decades, Canada has largely operated within an import-driven model, with design and retail anchored domestically while production moved offshore. Unlike Europe’s integrated manufacturing ecosystems, Canadian designers have historically navigated fragmented supply chains, limited access to materials, and a lack of centralized infrastru...

Canada’s footwear economy was never built around designers, it was built around importing. In Episode 002 of The Vainqueur Podcast, we examine why a country globally associated with winter boots has never developed a true designer-led footwear ecosystem and what it would take to change that.

The episode begins with Montréal-based footwear designer Niki Jessup, who outlines the infrastructure gaps facing Canadian footwear today. From the disappearance of footwear education programs to the near absence of leather tanneries and component suppliers, Jessup describes an industry where designers must operate as startups sourcing materials abroad, importing las...

Markantoine Lynch-Boisvert has spent the past decade quietly reshaping what a Canadian fashion career can look like — one rooted in narrative, community and cultural memory rather than scale alone. In Episode 001 of The Vainqueur Podcast, the MRKNTN founder reflects on the personal experiences, industry setbacks and creative decisions that shaped his resilience — and why recognition from Quebec’s fashion industry reaffirmed a responsibility to build beyond himself.

After early training in Montreal and a formative period working in Paris, Lynch-Boisvert returned home with a clearer sense of identity as a Montrealer and a sharper view of the st...

The Vainqueur Podcast explores the ideas, decisions, and cultural forces shaping Canada’s fashion, beauty, and creative industries. Hosted by Danica Samuel, Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Vainqueur, the podcast features in-depth conversations with Canada’s designers, founders, executives, creatives, and industry leaders understand­ing how this market is evolving and where it’s headed next.

Across each episode, we unpack how Canadian professionals are building brands, navigating growth, responding to global pressures, and defining a distinctly Canadian approach to fashion, beauty, retail, and culture. From emerging voices to established leaders, these conversations go beyond headlines, offering context...