Claudette Floyd has been a leading designer of women’s formal fashion in Montreal since 1991.
Floyd is known for her sleek, feminine evening and cocktail wear, positioning her at the forefront of the local wedding and prom dress market.
Her work has appeared in Canadian and Quebec magazines like Elle, Flare, and Clin d’Oeil, and she has participated in Montreal Fashion Week (2013) and Toronto Fashion Week (2014).
Having moved to Montreal from Montego Bay, Jamaica, in the mid-1980s, Floyd began making her own clothes as a teenager after her sister gave her a sewing machine. The daughter of a seamstress and originally self-taught, she took night classes at LaSalle College to enrich her skills while launching her brand, simultaneously producing and wholesaling her line of women’s fashion. Floyd ran her first atelier in Montreal’s Old Port, opening it to the public in 1996.
In 2002, Floyd moved her business to 3963 St. Lawrence Boulevard and soon expanded into an adjacent storefront at 3971 to open her boutique, Rushcouture. Floyd makes her own patterns and sews samples, contracting out the rest of her manufacturing locally.
Lines are always produced in small quantities to ensure exclusivity, and she provides customization and fitting services for her clientele.
Rushcouture remained on the Main for over 10 years before Floyd moved the boutique to 1090 Laurier Avenue West in Outremont where it remains in operation today, rebranded as “Claudette.” Floyd continues to create her signature formal gowns, in addition to separates that are more casual, professional wear and handbags.
Sources
www.claudettefloyd.com Internal link
Coates, Alana. “Dressmaker extraordinaire doesn’t do poufy,” The Montreal Gazette, November 25, 2006, B2.
Raeburn-Bayne, Gemma. “Lifestyles: Designer in a Rush to Succeed,” Community Contact, March 31, 1996, 14.
