Celebrating Canada’s Rising Fashion Labels

Photograph by Sam Fournier

As a young, diverse nation, with a currently heightened sense of patriotism and an “elbows up” mentality, few things are more gratifying than seeing “Canadian” written in front of a name or brand. While Canada may not house any of the world’s fashion capitals, the true north boasts numerous local brands and rising designers that shape Canadian fashion.

In celebration of Canada’s 159th birthday, bear the flag on your chest (metaphorically) through the threads of our homegrown fashion labels. Below are a few ateliers across the nation that produce not just a Canadian tag but also fine textiles, thoughtful craftsmanship, and designs made with true patriot love.

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Photograph by Britney Gill

Meet Bare, the Canadian Knitwear Brand Redefining Luxury on Slow Craft

As teens in North Vancouver, Kelsey Adair and her friends would crochet hats and trade them before going snowboarding on Grouse Mountain. The after-school hobby eventually inspired Adair’s homegrown label, Bare Knitwear. She started the brand in 2014, focusing on handmade pieces woven from natural fibres like alpaca wool, merino wool, and pima cotton. —Erica Dutra

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Iranian Canadian Fashion Innovator Golnar Ahmadian Opens Up About Her Ready-to-Wear Line Golshaah

For fashion designer Golnar Ahmadian, mood boards and runway trends hold little sway over her ready-to-wear line, Golshaah. Rather, it is the quiet tension of an all-important daily question—what to wear when grabbing a latte—that inspires her designs. —Elio Iannacci

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Photograph by Hayley Nedland.

Saturday Project Is Making a Sustainable Impact

What started as a digital venue for Adam Boehm to share his stories of sailing and surfing, along with his love for analog photography, has evolved into a stylish apparel brand rooted in sustainable practices. Saturday Project is a B.C.-based label built on an unwavering respect for the environment, with each piece manufactured in its Vancouver facility. —Lauren Edwards

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Photograph by Sam Fournier.

Montreal Fashion Designer Eliza Faulkner’s Next Chapter

From her studio in Montreal’s Chabanel district, the Vancouver Island-born designer speaks with an ease that mirrors her clothes: confident, expressive, unafraid of taking up space or making a statement. Since launching her her namesake label in 2012, Faulkner has built a devoted following for what she describes as “bold, feminine, contemporary womenswear.” —Vicki Duong

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Marina Moscone Creates Clothing That Is Minimalist in Form but Maximalist in Quality and Craft

Nearly 10 years after launching her eponymous label, Marina Moscone knows the power of embracing who you are, and who you aren’t. The women she dresses—including Michelle Obama, Kate Hudson, and Maggie Gyllenhaal—are drawn to her label’s signatures: menswear-inspired tailoring and slip dresses, as well as artfully twisted and draped Italian fabrics. —Erica Dutra

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Photograph by Eric Lamothe.

Montreal’s Balmoral Is a Canadian-Made Running Brand That’s Just Hitting Its Stride

Balmoral founders Martin Boulais and Nicolas St-Pierre admired what other brands were doing, particularly labels like Tracksmith, which helped redefine running style with a more nostalgic, heritage-inspired look. But there was nothing that was made in Canada that aligned with their preferred aesthetic. From there, their vision became clear: Canadian-made gear with a sharp, lasting look. —Ben Kriz

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3.Paradis Is Taking Flight Worldwide

Founded in 2013 and now operating in both Paris and Montreal—creative director Emeric Tchatchoua grew up in Paris and moved to Canada with his family as a teenager—the contemporary ready-to-wear brand 3.Paradis has been steadily building a distinctive visual language while creating veritable fashion hits along the way. Storytelling is at the heart of 3.Paradis, and a “message of freedom, hope, and universalism.” Freedom doves are a visual leitmotif, appearing on everything from jeans to blazers to baseball caps season after season. —Truc Nguyen

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