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    The Main

    Montreal's Cultural Directory

    Help us improve! Share your thoughts on how we can make your experience better.

    Leave feedback

    For partnerships and collaborations:

    partnerships@themain.com

    Content

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    • Food & Drink
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    • History Lesson
    • Bulletin
    • Events

    Guides

    • All Guides
    • Best Restaurants
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    Explore Montreal

    • Browse Directory
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    The Main Media Inc. 2026

    ✦ Built By Field Office

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      --°C|Tuesday, May 26, 2026|
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      --°C|Tuesday, May 26, 2026|
      Subscribe today to get 3 free articles per month.Get 50% off your first 5 rides with Lyft
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      EN/FR
      The Main Logo
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      Sections
      • Arts & Culture
      • Beyond Montreal
      • Design
      • Food & Drink
      • History Lessons
      • The Bulletin
      Explore
      Popular Guides
      • The Best Restaurants in Montreal
      • Best new Restaurants
      • Best Cafés
      • Unique Boutiques
      • Romantic Restaurants
      • Best Bookstores
      • See all Guides
      Neighbourhood
      • Downtown
      • Le Plateau-Mont-Royal
      • Mile End
      • Mile-Ex
      • Saint-Henri
      • See All
      Business Type
      • Restaurant
      • Café
      • Boutique / Store
      • Bar
      • Bakery
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      • Peel
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      The fairyland fashion brand sewn entirely in its founder's bedroom
      “There have been situations where people older than me are very taken aback by things I make, and think that it's cheap or slutty… I do take offence to that. That's not what this is.” | Photography courtesy of Avenir Vert / @avenirvert.shop

      The Main is reader-supported. Subscriptions are what keep us independent. Five dollars a month — the restaurants, the guides, the weekly bulletin, and what to do each weekend. Support us today.

      Olivia Donahue was 17 when, as part of an entrepreneurship class project, she launched Avenir Vert. Tasked simply with designing a business, she developed the upcycling fashion label that's been operating ever since.

      The small, handmade brand grew out of a passion for sustainability rather than a love for fashion. Vegan since the age of 12, it was young Olivia’s disapproval of commercial fishing and factory farming that sparked her interest in sustainability.

      “Sustainability is actually where I approached fashion from, rather than the other way around,” she explains. “Fashion is a world that I was not even into at all until I started doing it myself.”

      “The branding, the whole world and vision that I've created, is just very intuitive… It flows and evolves, but it's always very delicate and feminine... It’s like a fairyland.”

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      Comments

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      Follow on Google

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      The Fairyland Fashion Brand Sewn Entirely in Its Founder's Bedroom

      Avenir Vert's Olivia Donahue turned thrift store finds and teenage entrepreneurship into British Vogue features—all while refusing to compromise on a sustainable vision.

      ByAnahi Pellathy

      October 1, 2025 · 5 min read

      The fairyland fashion brand sewn entirely in its founder's bedroom
      “There have been situations where people older than me are very taken aback by things I make, and think that it's cheap or slutty… I do take offence to that. That's not what this is.” | Photography courtesy of Avenir Vert / @avenirvert.shop

      The Main is reader-supported. Subscriptions are what keep us independent. Five dollars a month — the restaurants, the guides, the weekly bulletin, and what to do each weekend. Support us today.

      Olivia Donahue was 17 when, as part of an entrepreneurship class project, she launched Avenir Vert. Tasked simply with designing a business, she developed the upcycling fashion label that's been operating ever since.

      The small, handmade brand grew out of a passion for sustainability rather than a love for fashion. Vegan since the age of 12, it was young Olivia’s disapproval of commercial fishing and factory farming that sparked her interest in sustainability.

      “Sustainability is actually where I approached fashion from, rather than the other way around,” she explains. “Fashion is a world that I was not even into at all until I started doing it myself.”

      “The branding, the whole world and vision that I've created, is just very intuitive… It flows and evolves, but it's always very delicate and feminine... It’s like a fairyland.”

      Free account required

      For readers who care about Montreal

      Create a free account to read this story and access 3 articles per month, plus our weekly Bulletin.

      Independent. Local. Reader-supported.

      or

      Already a member? Sign in

      Comments

      Welcome to The Main's comments section!

      Share your thoughts and join the conversation. Please be respectful and constructive.

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