Canada’s Kanuk to open its first U.S. store
Kanuk is entering the United States as the first part of its international expansion.
The Montréal-based, luxury outerwear brand, which celebrated its 50th anniversary last year, will open its first U.S. store on Nov. 23, in New York City's SoHo neighborhood. The location will be the brand's first standalone shop outside of its Quebec home.
The SoHo store is designed to pay tribute to Kanuk's storied past and heritage, blending the brand's legacy together with its continued evolution.
"Our new SoHo store is an exciting new chapter in our evolution from a small outerwear manufacturer to a global Canadian brand,” said Richard Laniel, president, Kanuk.
Designed by architecture studio Atelier Barda, the 4,000-sq.-ft. store provides a sensory experience that reflects Montreal's winter climate. The merchandise collections will be highlighted in a white-domed space illuminated by punctual and controlled lighting created by New York-based Derek Porter studio and James Clotfelter Lighting Design in collaboration with Atelier Barda.
Inspired by the art installations, the light is used to blur the boundaries of architecture, creating the illusion of the coats being suspended around the room. The fitting rooms' full-height monochrome curtains complete the customer experience.
"Inspired by Montreal's retro-cult character, the team of designers drew from the idealistic vision of the 60s and 70s that transformed the urban face of Montreal at that time and still inhabits the city today," said Cécile Combelle co-founder, Atelier Barda. "The tension between utopia and nostalgia was something we wanted to explore in order to design a space that freely reinterprets Kanuk's history as much as its current evolution."
The store will debut the brand's fall/winter 2021 core collection of outerwear styles, ranging from functional puffers in micro-floral prints to insulated parkas in neon citrus hues, along with exclusive styles available only at the location. Kanuk's first transitional collection for milder weather will also be featured.
Kanuk has been quietly introducing eco-innovations. As of 2022, the brand will have fully withdrawn from the use of fur.
In addition, more than 50% of the collection is made with recycled fabrics, and the brand is committed to increasing the percentage.