Amidst the clamor and craze of midterms, impending finals, and last minute snowstorms that don’t seem to belong in mid-March, two fashion-minded students planned a huge event that took McGill – and Montreal – by storm. P[h]assion Presents: MasquerAids is more than just a fashion show. It’s a cocktail hour, silent auction, fashion show, and after party all rolled into one good cause. Proceeds from the event went to Maison Plein Coeur, an organization founded back in 1991 to support those suffering from HIV/AIDS. And the two head coordinators behind it all? Veronique Beaulieu-Fowler and Rosalie Beaudoin-Vles, two U3 students here at McGill with different backgrounds but a shared interest for fashion and P[h]assion.
While both girls are Marketing majors who make Bronfman their home, Veronique is minoring in Art History and Rosalie is minoring in Communication Studies. Veronique is also from Ottawa, while Rosalie calls Montreal her hometown. But that’s where the divide ends. Both girls are cheerful, good-natured, and clearly have P[h]assion’s best interests at heart.
Both Veronique and Rosalie started working with the P[h]assion team last year, and immediately grew to enjoy the experience. Naturally, they both had new ideas they wanted to share with the team and what better way than to take the lead? “Being nominated as co-chair for P[h]assion is probably my favorite McGill memory,” Rosalie says emphatically. Veronique is quick to agree, “Having them trust us and be confident in us is incredible.”
“It’s an opportunity to be creative,” Rosalie explains about being a part of the P[h]assion committee, a team of twenty-some McGill students who are all interested in getting involved, meeting new people, and creating something enjoyable for the McGill community, but also raising awareness and supporting a great cause like Maison Plein Coeur.
“They help people with HIV/AIDS in Montreal,” Veronique elaborates. “The idea is social reinsertion—having apartments for them, having meetings, offering counseling, and providing massage therapy.”
It’s clear that P[h]assion Presents: MasquerAids is not an easy event to pull off. “We have awareness campaigns, promo videos, model campaigns, and a blog that we’ve been running since the beginning of the year,” Veronique ticks off. “It’s all about leveraging the creativity of the entire committee.” And with a new concept this year—hosting a sit-down event as opposed to a typical standing one, it’s clear that the P[h]assion team has taken this project with zeal and dedication.
As students in their final year at McGill, both Veronique and Rosalie reminisce about thir favorite places here in Montreal. “Vieux Port, probably,” Veronique decides. “Everything about it – the ambiance, the restaurants…” And Rosalie agrees, though her favorite doesn’t seem to be up for debate: “Juliette et Chocolat. The brownies are to die for.” And while it’s somewhat bittersweet to be rounding off their final semesters here at McGill, both girls have big dreams for their futures. Veronique aspires to work in fashion and to someday learn Italian, while Rosalie hopes to travel and find a job after graduating.
Without a doubt, both girls seem to be taking P[h]assion to the next level. You can check out their event photos here or here (from The Bull & Bear) from this past Friday. And be sure to catch next year’s fashion show—P[h]assion has been around for over twenty years, and it doesn’t show signs of disappearing any time soon!
Check out their Facebook page for more information!
Images obtained from: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=441174899295113&set=oa.428304390588583&type=1&theater; https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=594647150565428&set=a.594647127232097.1073741825.109787835718031&type=1&theater