La Mère Michèle

La Mère Michèle was a company specialized in Quebec-made children’s clothing. Its primary brands were La Mère Michèle, for girls and boys ages 0 to 10, Miss M.M., for girls ages 10 to 16, and X-Tension, snowsuits for girls and boys ages 6 to 14.

Founded in 1987, La Mère Michèle was created by Michèle Fortin, a fashion design graduate of LaSalle College in Montreal, and Ronald Houle, who was the company’s vice-president of sales. Headquartered in Le Gardeur, near Repentigny, at its peak, La Mère Michèle had eight employees and sold its clothing in over 300 stores in Canada, the United States and the United Arab Emirates.

The company ceased operations in 2004. Ronald Houle left the fashion industry to work in car sales, while Michèle Fortin took an early retirement.