Roberte Bolduc

Roberte Bolduc began her career at the Henry Morgan & Co. department store in 1956, working as a contractor and seasonal assistant to fashion director Eve Trill. Two years later, she herself held the position, organizing fashion shows for the store until 1968. Around the same time, in 1961, Morgan’s put Roberte Bolduc in charge of a charm school that she directed for 13 years, under the pseudonym Lise Leclair. Working with a variety of experts, she introduced girls ages 15 to 17 years to the concepts of deportment, hair, make-up and style.

Roberte Bolduc produced dozens of fashion shows every year until 1980, including many with Iona Monahan.

Her organizing talents, intuition and flair for showmanship made her a valuable resource for Montreal designers like Leo Chevalier, Marielle Fleury, Elvia Gobbo, Donald Richer, Michel Robichaud, Valérie Dubsky (Vali), and Serge et Réal. She was John Warden‘s agent for three years. Charities, cultural associations, major corporations and fashion companies (like the store Lily Simon, for example) also called on her services to organize special fashion events.

In the mid-1970s, she taught fashion marketing and fashion show production for two years in LaSalle College‘s fashion program. In 1976, 1977 and 1978, she was in charge of the décor and events for the Greek Pavilion at Man and His World, where she notably presented Greek fashion. She was asked to design and produce Auto-Élégance in 1977 and 1979, a fashion show that paired the work of Quebec fashion designers with vintage cars. Roberte Bolduc retired in 1980, after 25 years of putting her creative energy to work for Quebec fashion.