Le Château

Le Château is a true Montreal institution.

The company was founded in 1959, by Mr. Herschel Segal. A pair of bell-bottoms bought on a trip to London, England inspired him. What if he could translate the Carnaby Street look to hip Montrealers looking for high fashion, without the hefty price tag?

The Le Château legacy was born.

The original store was a tiny location on Saint Catherine Street, that began with menswear only. The name "Le Chateau" was a bit tongue-in-cheek, given it's diminutive size. A ladies' collection was added in 1962.

The 1960's saw Le Château build itself a solid reputation by offering the latest groundbreaking styles to it's customers, including a succesful leather-goods line. Among some famous Le Château customers of that period, we can count the Beatles, who visited the store while in Canada, and famous artist Erte, who had costumes made for... you guessed it... Expo 67!

Montreal artist Vittorio Fiorucci (who is best known for the Just for Laughs cartoon mascot) is credited for having created Le Château's two circle and triangle logo in the early 70's. The design was revamped in the 1980's, to the trademark that we know today, which still appears on Le Château shopping bags.

Like any company, Le Château has had it's ups and downs over the years, but it remains today one of Canada's leading retailers.

images: special thanks to Cara Braude from Le Château's head office