Articles on Canada Goose
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For many people, the winter season is the most fashionable throughout the year. Fashionistas have layers upon layers of clothing, styling them in a way that makes them look like a million bucks. Through the years, winter gear themselves have become fashion staples, becoming some of the most worn garments even before the first drop of snow. The silhouette it offers the wearer has become a popular look, especially on the runways of many high fashion designers. What was once manufactured to just be functional has emerged to be some of the most fashionable items anyone can wear. This shift in interest is what Canada Goose banks on for success.
Canada Goose is one of the foremost winter-wear brands in the world. The offer top of the line coats, down-filled, jackets, and a number of accessories ranging from ski garments to normal outerwear. As the name suggests, it’s based in the very often cold Canada, where snow is an ordinary fixture every year. But beyond their humble beginnings and the central core of the country, the company has expanded throughout the latter half of the 20th century into becoming one of the premier outerwear brands in the world. It has even gained respect and prestige among the very-discriminating fashion community.
Patriotic Zeal
One of the key factors of Canada Goose is also part of its name, particularly the “Canada” part. Since it began, the company had been manufacturing their products in Canada. Despite offers from interested investors to open factories in other countries, particularly Asia where the labor is much more affordable, the label insisted to stay working on Canadian soil. Even when they started expanding to different continents, all of their items were made exclusively in Canada. In 2013, when Bain Capital, a US-based private equity firm, bought 70% equity stake in the company, one of the only conditions the company had was to continue the manufacturing solely in Canada.
History
The company began as Metro Sportswear Ltd. in 1957, founded by Sam Tick, a Polish immigrant who moved to Canada. It started out as an ordinary factory of functional outerwear, selling coat, jackets, raincoats, vests, and snowmobile suits with practically no fashion design value whatsoever. Despite this, however, the Canadian public embraced the brand, especially since it answered their need for comfortable and functional clothing to keep them warm during the winter. In 1972, Tick’s son-in-law David Reiss entered the company and eventually took over as CEO. Under Reiss, the company began selling custom-made coats, parkas, and jackets, slowly forming an elite clientele.
Impact on Pop Culture
While the company is primarily focused on outerwear, their products have actually made an impact on pop culture, integrated into some of the most unforgettable moments. For example, some of the most record-breaking expeditions of prominent explorers have worn Canada Goose in their adventures, most famously when Ray Zahab trekked the South Pole all on his own for just 33 days, 23 hours, and 55 minutes – the fasted ever as recorded on the Guinness Book of World Records. Zahab and other explorers like him are considered by the company as Goose people – prominent figures who have integrated their adventures with Canada Goose clothing.
By the 2010’s famous personalities began incorporating Canada Goose clothing in their many ventures, giving more awareness for the brand. One of the very first and very controversial was Kate Upton when she wore the label’s parka paired only with a skimpy white bikini-bottom for the cover of that year’s Sports Illustrated’s famous swimsuit issue. Further, into sports, baseball player David Ortiz of the Boston Red Sox was even given a custom-made Canada Goose jacket by Toronto Blue Jays’ José Bautista and Edwin Encarnación. While Daniel Craig has donned the label’s jackets in many of his widely-popular James Bond films.
Significance in Fashion
Today, Canada Goose is one of the premier outerwear brands in the entire industry. Through their endorsement by countless personalities, the label became instrumental in propagating the sportswear trend for the autumn-winter season. Like Moncler, Canada Goose’s jackets, parkas, and coats have become classic staples and some of the most fashionable and coveted pieces of clothing within the industry. Beyond Winter Sports, it has also been embraced by the urban hip-hop community, usually pairing Canada Goose with other pieces like those of multi-colored sneakers and gold chain jewelry. Various signatures of the brand have become the signatures of urban style as well.
Like many others, Canada Goose started as a family business that ended up as a major fashion brand. The label has become a major player in the retail business, selling in various stores in the world as well as online. And whoever wears a piece, wherever they may be, the label makes sure that he/she knows its a product proudly made in Canada.
