MONTREAL –– One of the Canadiens’ most fashionable stars is ready to trade the ice for the runway.
Patrik Laine and his wife, Jordan, will hit the catwalk on Thursday, August 21, at 8:00 p.m ET., as part of the From Us to You x M.A.D Festival Fashion Show, showcasing not only their style, but their commitment to a meaningful cause. The Laine’s event is being held outdoors on the corner of Rue Balmoral and Maisonneuve-Ouest in Quartier des spectacles.
From Us to You –– the online charitable initiative founded by the Laines to support and destigmatize mental health –– is the official charitable partner for the 25th anniversary of the M.A.D Festival, an annual celebration of creativity and self-expression through fashion, art, diversity and cultural creativity. This year’s festival runs August 21-24 and is free to the public.
Laine won’t be the only Hab on the runway. Teammates Jakub Dobes, Alex Newhook and Jayden Struble have also been named official models, joining a lineup that includes some of Montreal’s top athletes from the Laval Rocket, Montreal Victoire, Montreal Roses FC, Canadian Olympic Team and more!
The Canadiens content team caught up with Jordan Laine to chat more about their collaboration with the M.A.D Festival this year.
Please note questions and answers have been modified for clarity and conciseness.
What does it mean for From Us to You, and for you and Patrik to be partnering with the M.A.D Festival?
I think it's really cool to be partnering with the M.A.D. Festival in particular, because we're combining two completely different worlds of sports and fashion, and they're all coming together for mental health. The symbolism around it is that this is something that affects all communities. It doesn't matter who you are, what your interests are or what your background is; everyone is struggling with mental health in some way.
The M.A.D. Festival has been around for 25 years, so it's a very established organization and they've done such incredible work in the past. Having the trust from Chantal [Durivage] and Jean-Francois [Daviau] means a lot. And it also means a lot that such a well-established organization that has their kind of rapport has the same values as us and that they really believe in the cause. It’s amazing to see more and more people getting behind mental health destigmatization.
What's it been like to plan a fashion show?
There's so much work that goes into an event like this and making it happen. I've learned so much and it's been so rewarding. There’s a whole team around this event that's giving their time, and nobody's getting paid for it, so it’s really inspiring to see all of the work that's going into this just because people believe in the cause. […] As we've gotten so much exposure for this show, so many organizations are reaching out to us, which is incredible. It's like a catalyst for growth.
What are you hoping people take away from it?
I really hope that it connects people to the organization and to the stories that are in the community. It’s really about getting eyes and ears on the mental health stories and making people feel like they're not alone in whatever they're going through. Also, I think it's really cool to have these influential figures rocking the runway and saying, “I'm supporting people prioritizing their mental health.” They're excited to be a part of the conversation, so much so that they're taking up multiple days of their offseason: You have to go in and get fitted, and it's a whole long day of rehearsing and then dealing with the stylists, and then actually walking the runway, of course. It’s not a small feat to walk in the show. So, everybody who's walking the runway is really committing their time and we really, really appreciate it because we know how busy they all are. It’s really cool to see like-minded people in the sports communities.
You’re the producer of the event, but you’re also one of the models in the show. Do you have any modeling experience?
I did runway modeling in Washington, DC before I met Patrik. It’s something that I've done and was a hobby for me before I met Patty. I’m excited to get back into the fashion world. I hope that I can continue doing similar projects after the M.A.D. Festival, like outside of From Us to You know, developing my own personal brand and hobbies and experiences.
How do you think Patty’s going to do on the runway?
I know he’s going to kill it! He loves attention, are you kidding me? [laughs] He was born for this. In another life, he would have been a runway model. I’m sure it’s going to go great.
See below for details about the event:
