It was another tough year for fashion retailers; Forever 21 went bankrupt, closing 44 stores in Canada just last month, and following in the footsteps of retailers like Payless and Topshop. Still, many Canadian retailers dared to expand their direct-to-consumer footprints in 2019 with the launch or their own storefronts or via strong retail collaborations.
From lingerie brands to a tattoo concept shop, I’m counting down some top Canadian brands that broke into retail this year.
Knix
Canadian intimates brand Knix kicked off its retail debut this year with the opening of its first standalone stores. The brand opened a storefront in Vancouver and inaugurated a flagship retail store in Toronto on Queen West. The brand, which had its start in 2013, equally launched a nationwide partnership with Nordstrom in 2019, rounding out a very busy retail year.
Marigold
It was especially exciting to see independent Montreal-based designer Marilyne Baril break into retail this year with a brand new space for her brand Marigold. She opened a storefront in the Montreal borough of Verdun for her made-in-Montreal line that encourages ‘Slow Fashion’. The store’s interior is characterized by orange accents housing the womenswear designer’s latest creations.
Okayok
Canadian indie label Okayok inaugurated its first permanent retail location in its hometown of Toronto in 2019. The boutique houses the brand’s playful contemporary loungewear, as well as the company’s new commercial studio space. The brand, founded in 2017 by designer and entrepreneur Adrienne Butikofer, is well-known for its niche, and sometimes cheeky designs.
Manitobah Mukluks
Following a successful pilot pop-up project last year, Manitobah Mukluks expanded its number of retail locations this year to 18 stores in several major cities. The brand, which specializes in indigenous modern footwear, opened the pop-up experiences temporarily this year. The brand opened stores in several locations across the country including Calgary, Edmonton, Ottawa, and the Toronto area.
Wuxly Movement
Cruelty-free Canadian outerwear brand Wuxly Movement opened its first storefront in 2019, in Toronto, in a retail space shared with fellow local brand Vitaly. The brand, co-founded by former Canadian pro-football player, James Yurichuk, and master-tailor, Anthony DeBartolo in 2012, offers a range of parkas, bombers, jackets, hats, and vests that promise to be sourced ethically.
Inkbox
Toronto-based tattoo startup Inkbox opened its first permanent retail space on Queen Street West this year. The temporary tattoo brand has experimented with a number of pop-ups since first launching in 2015. The new location offers tattoo designs and a retail space housing the company’s temporary designs. Inkbox also launched an area for permanent tattoos, dubbed Inside Out.
Province of Canada
After 5 years online, Province of Canada announced the official opening of its first brick and mortar store in Leslieville, Toronto, in 2019. The new digs at 1004 Queen Street East houses the brand’s well-made basics collection of made in Canada pieces, as well as accessories like toques, totes, and candles.
Ellie Mae Studios
This year, Toronto-based fashion brand Ellie Mae Studios teamed up with decor brand COFO, to open a retail space at Toronto’s shipping container market, Stackt. The new space is filled with Ellie Mae’s womenswear collection, as well as the two brands’ chic cannabis accessories, and COFO’s modern and streamlined furniture.
Melanie Auld
Six years after launching her eponymous label, Vancouver-based jewellery designer Melanie Auld opened a brick-and-mortar store during the summer of 2019. The 805-square-foot flagship, characterized by pink and green decor, carries Auld’s full range of west coast-inspired bling. Beyond the brand’s jewellery collection, the store also houses an in-house collection of Murano-glass vessels and white ceramics.
Gazelles
Montreal-based designer Habi Gerba opened her first storefront for her high-end clothing line designed for the modern working woman this year. Customers are invited to make an appointment at the boutique located in Montreal at 3859 Saint-Denis for a personalized shopping experience, where they can choose between custom-made or ready-to-wear clothing options by Gazelles.
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With the snow coming down and temperatures reaching negative double digits, winter is definitely here.
What started off as a mild winter in Toronto has turned into something much more frigid. Most Canadians have packed away their pretty peacoats and pulled out their parkas…indefinitely.
But unlike wardrobe items like spring or fall jackets, winter jackets are heftier — both in weight and in price, which means that swapping out styles during colder months and keeping your look fresh isn’t always an option. Especially if you’re on a budget.
Luckily, one Canadian outerwear brand wants to take your old jacket and trade you for something new!
Wuxly Movement is a Canadian outerwear brand created by James Yurichuk. The former professional football player began the brand after he was unable to find a warm, Canadian-made, and animal-free winter jacket for his Brazilian girlfriend, who wasn’t used to the cold weather.
After some deep research and help from his best friend, master tailor Anthony DeBartolo, the two were able to find military-grade fabrics proven to outperform the typical fur and down used to insulate winter coats. And so the movement began!
Instagram/@wuxlymovement
Wuxly Movement will buy your old fur, fur-trimmed, or down-filled jackets for up to $275 in credit.
The Live Warm Trade Up Program began back in 2016 and aims to serve good on a variety of different levels.
Those who opt to trade in their jacket can feel good about the exchange — each jacket donated will be given to a homeless shelter in Canada. So, in addition to providing someone in need with warmth, those who donate can also feel good about making a move towards sustainability in a new, animal-friendly Wuxly Movement jacket.
Whether you’ve got a new or lightly used fur or down-filled parka that’s collecting dust, or just feel like trading up for something new, the Live Warm Trade Up Program could be for you. Brands accepted into the program include (but are not limited to) Canada Goose, Moose Knuckles, Mackage, Nobis, North Face, and more. For a full list of brands accepted, visit Wuxly Movement.
If you’re interested in testing and trying a Wuxly Movement before you trade up, the brand is carried in stores across Canada.
In Toronto, the brand is carried in retailers like Sporting Life, Gotstyle, and more, and in a variety of specialty retailers across the nation. Or you can shop Wuxly Movement online. Take a peek at what Wuxly Movement has to offer below.
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Featured image: Instagram/@wuxlymovement
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