Brand Canada
Being fashionably Canadian at 150
Fashionably Canadian at 150
ANATION’S FASHION industry can succinctly conjure a marketable image of that country to the rest of the world. But what is the fashion look of Canada most telegraphed across the globe?
Italy is known for the most luxurious and innovative of materials. Its menswear is unparalleled, and the Made-in-Italy label is practically a brand unto itself, such is its desirability worldwide. France is the epicentre of fashion and rules the industry’s highest summit – the Haute Couture. Its lengthy list of historic fashion brands is highly coveted globally, and the country is also a leader in beauty and cosmetics. England reflects two faces of its fashion industry. One is seen as an incubator of ideas, and its topnotch fashion schools are hunting grounds from which other countries’ big brands plunder, looking for the next McQueen or Galliano. The other face reflects rich heritage brands steeped in tradition, some of which have the halo-like anointment of a royal warrant.
On the other side of the pond, the United States has bragging rights to being the leader of sportswear, denim and athletic wear. Brands like Nike and Levi’s have the global recognizability of Coca-Cola.
As our country celebrates the ripe young age of 150, this milestone is a marketing and merchandising gold mine for retailers. As the variety of fashionable products aimed at both tourists and locals make their way to the shelves, it’s also an apt moment to reflect on what constitutes Brand Canada.
We take a look at three legacy Canadian fashion retailers and how they are interpreting and, perhaps defining Canadian style.
BAY WATCH
One of the oldest retailers in North America – predating Canada itself by nearly two centuries – the company started in 1670 along the shores of Hudson and James bays, where natives traded fur for a variety of manufactured goods from cooking utensils to blankets.
Around 1779, the company commissioned an English textile mill to make some creamy white woollen blankets with four coloured stripes and black points that were a measuring unit. The warm blankets were not only a hit with the fur traders and miners but also the natives who found them easier to sew than the animal skins they used.
Because of its insulating and quick-drying properties, the blankets were soon formed into coats and hence was born one of Canada’s earliest fashion items.
Today, HBC continues to sell the point blanket and has expanded the iconic stripes to cover a multitude of diverse wares from coats to canoes. It has become so popular even Barbie recently took to wearing a striped blanket coat. The HBC Barbie instantly sold out this past Christmas.
But since HBC has an entire department that sells this heritage merchandise year-round, the retailer looked for another way to celebrate Canada 150.
And it returned to its roots, so to speak. Back when the company first started on Hudson Bay, successful growth saw it expanding with outposts westward along a network of rivers that would eventually lay the foundation points for the modernday cities of Winnipeg, Calgary and Edmonton.
For Canada’s anniversary, the company continues to thread and weave the country together with the announcement of its commitment to connecting the Trans Canada Trail’s Great Trail this year, from coast to coast to coast. Its Grand Portage fundraising program will support the Trans Canada Trail, a non-profit organization working since 1992 to build the epic trail along land and lakes to link the entire country.
“We’ve always been a company of adventurers and partnering with Trans Canada Trail aligns with our values to be inspired by our heritage,” said Hudson’s Bay president Liz Rodbell.
The retailer also launched the
Grand Portage collection, a series of collectible items from sweatshirts to mugs. While the look of this 58-piece collection mostly touts adventure and the great Canadian outdoors, the iconic stripes do make an appearance on a keepsake item: a mini paddle.
And perhaps this is one version of what Canadian style should try to evoke: a perfect blend of heritage and adventure.
Another Canadian retailer with roots older than Canada – it will soon be celebrating 180 years – Holt Renfrew started out selling hats in Quebec City. Today, the company is a crosscountry luxury emporium, offering some of the hottest of-the-moment international fashion brands for women and men.
To celebrate the country’s 150th birthday, the retailer looked within our own borders to stock its H Project department with Canadian designers and brands.
The H Project, now in its fourth year, is spearheaded by Alexandra Weston, director of brand and creative strategy. It’s an initiative where she and her team scour the world for small-scale designers and artisans whose work is making a worthy difference. While in the past they have put a spotlight on various locales such as India and South America, this year Weston will “uncrate Canada.”
Hunting across the country, the H Project team has selected 25 smallscale Canadian brands, never before sold in the high-end department store. The merchandise concept is two-fold, says Weston. “Not only are we bringing awareness to these local brands but they also each have some eco-friendly sustainability in their business.”
This year’s H Project collection brings to focus the startling array of Canadian fashion and beauty products made right here at home, from sunglasses to lingerie to swimwear and jewelry.
Rather than a singular item or notion, this carefully curated assortment might just be the answer to the question of what constitutes Canadian fashion: an eclectic mix and an under-the-radar, understated chic.
COLD COMFORT
With its “roots” in Algonquin Park, Roots has successfully built a life- style brand inspired by our home and native land – from the pristine lakes to rustic camping grounds to our year-round sporting activities.
But for a campaign to celebrate Canada’s 150th anniversary, it’s a quintessentially Canadian character trait that the world at large often uses as a catchall to describe us – polite, well-mannered and just plain nice – that serves as the theme.
The Roots’ Be Nice campaign will feature a variety of fundraising activities and events, one of which will be a hunt for Canada’s Nicest Person. The retailer is calling upon fellow Canadians to help identify a worthy individual who will win a $10,000 donation for their favourite charity.
A campaign video – which runs online and in movie theatres – and narrated by actress Kim Cattrall, features a series of historic news clips showing the world what makes Canada nice. Events from Terry Fox’s Marathon of Hope to samesex marriage to welcoming Syrian refugees to opening our homes to the thousands of stranded passengers from grounded flights on 9-11, are just some of the clips that show that “nice” is not always an easy or popular option. The video also does not shy away from Canada’s contentious and complex history with Aboriginal Peoples.
“Nice is overcoming obstacles and helping to find solutions to problems at home and abroad,” says Cattrall.
A minimum of $150,000 through the sale of the Roots’ Nice Buttons will go toward WE’s Indigenous Youth Empowerment Programming, which helps First Nations, Métis and Inuit youth become leaders in their communities.
This summer, a self-contained shipping container will serve as a roving Roots’ Pop-Up Shop, travelling across the country to various festivals selling a variety of merchandise from the 150 collection. Besides those beloved Roots sweats – emblazoned with the word “nice” – a standout piece in the celebratory collection is the leather Canada 150 Jacket, featuring a back embroidery of popular Canadiana icons. Score one for sporty cool.
But to answer the original question, it might take some more time before we nail down Canadian style into a singular message that brands the country. For now, perhaps we should just embrace what we already have, which is, in fact, quite nice.