Philippe Dubuc

Philippe Dubuc

Philippe Dubuc, fashion designer (b at Montréal 1966). Menswear designer Dubuc was educated at the College Marie-Victorin, and worked in the fashion business from the ground up through the late 1980s and early 1990s, as designer, patternmaker and production manager. In 1993 he launched his own label, called D.U.B.U.C. Mode de Vie (the acronym stands for Design Us Beautiful Urban Clothes). The name was apt, for Dubuc brought a European style and long, sleek tailoring to his men's suits and sportswear. He showed at the Seventh on Sixth exhibition (spring-summer 1997) in New York and was the first Canadian menswear designer to be invited to show in Paris (2005). In 1996 Dubuc won the Canadian Wool Bureau's Innovator prize.

Philippe Dubuc declared bankruptcy in February of 2006, closing all his retail locations and ending his relationships with 75 stockists. Due to heavy investment in promoting and showing his collections internationally, Dubuc's label suffered severely, leaving the firm financially crippled. Shortly after, however, he was able to regain ownership of his flagship location on Rue St-Denis in Montréal.

In 2007, Dubuc collaborated with Québec mass retailer La maison Simons to launch a 45-piece lower-priced line of men's fashions that blended his notable sense of style with mass-market appeal. With the negotiation of a 10-year retail arrangement with the department store, Dubuc was able to leverage the success of the line and revive his namesake label. Three years after the establishment of his menswear collaboration, Dubuc created a womenswear line for Simons titled Unes Femme. The 20-piece collection expressed the core of Dubuc's masculine aesthetic but faced harsh criticism due to poor quality and wearability for the mass consumer.

Dubuc opened Montréal's fall/winter 2010 fashion week with a private presentation held on a boat in the city's port. For the event, the designer collaborated with renowned photographer Martin Rondeau, who shot the menswear campaign, and cinematographer Jason Last, who produced a viral video for the brand.

The designer continues to retail at his flagship location in Montréal and a second location in Québec City.