Valérie Dumaine

After graduating from the LaSalle College fashion design program in 1997, Valérie Dumaine began her career in the fashion industry as an illustrator, patternmaker and designer for various Montreal companies. She launched her eponymous label in the fall of 2003 and presented her first collection the following spring.

Valérie Dumaine, 2016 © César Ochoa. Photo courtesy of Valérie Dumaine

For most of her career, Valérie Dumaine created affordable ready-to-wear women’s clothing made entirely in Quebec. According to the designer, her clientele was made up of women ages 25 to 50 who know how to make their clothing suit their style, rather than the other way around. Among her influences were the Bauhaus movement, Constructivism and films of the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. These inspirations were reflected in her simple, well-made clothing, which displays an angular, minimalist and structured aesthetic.

At its height, the Valérie Dumaine brand was sold though the company’s Website as well as in forty or so shops in Canada, the United States and Japan.

In 2019, Valérie Dumaine moved her operations to Ontario—first to Toronto, then to Kingston in 2021, and finally to Guelph in 2023. After arriving in Guelph, she stopped producing collections to focus on making small batches of clothing for her own online shop and several independent stores. Sustainability also became a priority, as she worked to minimize fabric scraps and use more recycled materials.

At the age of 47, designer Valérie Dumaine died suddenly of cancer on February 22, 2025.