The Festival M.A.D is not only a must-attend event in Canada, even if we must admit that it is a unique event, it is also a commitment to several causes and well anchored values.
What could be better than being yourself and “expressing” yourself through your personality? The Festival has set up a movement: #dresstoexpress, which means freedom of expression through style, your own style. DRESS TO EXPRESS is our support and commitment to inclusiveness.
We are proud to contribute to diversity through fashion and the arts. That’s why in 2022 we created, alongside the Government of Canada: FUTURES DIVERGENTS. A collaboration between Indigenous Fashion Arts with the participation of Sage Paul, and ourselves to showcase the clothing of Aboriginal designers.
How to participate in the Festival M.A.D as a model? Our only mandatory beauty criteria is to be yourself. That’s why we have set up a public casting session open to everyone without any physical selection criteria. The goal? To make people forget the diktat of fashion and to allow all people (18 years and older) who dream of becoming models, to parade on our catwalks alongside famous designers.
The LGBTQIA+ community is very important to the Festival M.A.D, and that’s why we love to let them shine. The kiki ballroom is a culture rooted in great community values, so it was a no-brainer for us to incorporate them into our programming.
For the second year in a row, The Festival M.A.D is hosting a RELUXE fashion show in support of Le Chaînon’s women. The funds raised during the Festival will benefit Le Chaînon and women.
A festival has an ecological impact, and that’s why we do our best every year to reduce our carbon footprint:
For the first time in 2022, we made the decision to host the Happy Tears Pop Up which inspires its community to prioritize mental health and happiness. Again, a value dear to the Festival M.A.D.