When did you join Canada Goose?
After 20 years off and on at Holt Renfrew, I joined Canada Goose this past summer, so I’m only a few months on the job.
What’s your title?
My official title is director of visual merchandising, which includes overseeing the retail merchandising and trade marketing teams. Essentially, I’m responsible for making sure the brand is well-represented and aligned at every touchpoint, from our showrooms to our brand shops to trade shows.
What’s your retail presence?
Canada Goose is sold in over 50 countries around the world in the best outdoor stores, fashion boutiques and high-end department stores, including Saks Fifth Avenue, Harrods, Lane Crawford and Holt Renfrew.
Are you a skier/camper/skater/ice fisherman?
I’m more of a “cottager.” In the winter, I’m into après-ski, if that counts.
Can an “après-ski cottager” still love this outdoorsy brand?
Absolutely. It’s a brand I’ve admired for a long time. Canada Goose is doing something that very few other apparel brands are doing – making the product in Canada – which has contributed to the company’s global success. I’m excited to be a part of that now. I also appreciate that it’s a company that stands behind its products. Each and every item is designed with purpose. And because it’s made in Canada, there is such quality, precision and craftsmanship, which you don’t see too often.
Major differences in your new job?
I’m now representing one brand globally, as opposed to working with hundreds of global vendors in one company, like I did at Holt Renfrew, which allows me to think and create differently. Instead of designing spaces where several brands can work together, I can concentrate on how to elevate and build a single, globally recognizable visual identity for Canada Goose. As a result, I’ve become more singular in my thinking, looking at what is best for one brand in the global market. Does this shop design reflect our DNA? Does the mannequin styling and propping represent the Canada Goose lifestyle? And most importantly, is it authentic?
Major similarities?
It’s still very creative, which I love, and I’m also involved in the retail space, which is constantly changing and evolving, so it keeps me on my toes. The key design principles don’t change; you just have to figure out how to make it work for the brand you’re working with.
What’s one prop you use at Canada Goose that you never used at Holt Renfrew?
An iceberg. We’re actually using it in our first global window, which we’re launching soon at Holt Renfrew, Harrods and Ogilvy – pretty high-fashion locations. It’s an interesting and modern take on a glacier. I love the juxtaposition of an organic form integrated with a graphic structure.
What’s one prop you used at Holt’s that you’ve not yet used at Canada Goose?
Probably a giant head bust of Grace Jones – I can’t see that fitting in here!