When we talk about fashion, one thinks of the fashion weeks in London, New York, Milan, and Paris. But do you know that Canada is one big competitor in fashion?
The Canadian fashion market has skyrocketed in the past few decades. A stable economy and a hike in demand for good products have resulted in the birth of brands that earned worldwide fame.
Who are they? We have compiled 16 Canadian fashion brands ruling the North American fashion market that earned a reputable name for themselves.
Without further ado, let’s dive straight into it.
After doing research, our list of the top 19 Canadian Fashion Brands includes Lululemon, Club Monaco, Smash+Tess, Lambert, BONLOOK, FOE AND DEER, Judith and Charles, & a few others.
The brands are selected based on their popularity and sustainability. Want to know more about all of these Fashion Brands in Canada?
Let’s go briefly through their history and what they offer.
Related: Make up Brands in Canada
You might be wondering why isn’t there any fitness apparel until now. You name it; we got it.
Lululemon is Canada’s home-based athletic brand. Lululemon is one of the biggest athleisure brands worldwide, with around 570+ stores in more than 17 countries.
What started as a humble yoga-inspired women’s brand in 1998 turned out to be a huge success and game-changer in the fitness industry.
Lululemon now sells men’s athletic apparel too. The brand has a wide variety for men and women. You can also buy shoes and accessories from Lululemon.
Club Monaco is also a brand with deep roots in Canadian history. The brand was founded by Joe Mimran and Alfred Sung in 1985.
The Toronto-based brand specializes in men’s and women’s clothing. The brand, after the undertaking of the famous Ralph Lauren Polo group, went global.
Today, Club Monaco has established operations in more than 140 countries worldwide. That’s massive. Isn’t it?
Club Monaco is known for its classic designs and timeless pieces of clothing. This idea of providing “better basics” was adopted at the brand’s inception and has traveled through decades.
Tees, tanks, blazers, Swimsuits, sweaters, outerwear, shorts, jeans, pants, tees, polos, you name it. Club Monaco has it all for you.
Comfort and style beautifully put together, Smash+Tess is a one-stop shopping center for fashion lovers. The brand is based in Vancouver and is famous throughout North America.
They are particularly famous for their comfy rompers. Made from sustainable rayon extracted from bamboo and cotton blends, these rompers are among the best on the market.
Smash+Tess is a brand-led by women. A brand making everyday wear unique and fashion-centric that too in comfort. It is considered among the top Clothing Brands in Canada.
The brand has collaborated with several individuals, such as Jilian Harris, Luisana Lopilato, Jam Gamble, Coach Carey, etc.
Smash+Tess has the best rompers in Canada and throughout the North American market. The brand has rompers for men, women, and kids.
Let’s talk about some bags now. Lambert is a Canadian-based fashion brand that specializes in leather bags and accessories.
Lambert is for those who are looking for unique, affordable, and sustainable leather bags and products. The brand has some of the best leather bags on the market.
It has a wide range of handbags, totes, backpacks, straps, wallets, pouches, key holders, cases, sleeves, toiletry bags, and multifunctional bags.
The brand also has a section of recycled nylon products where all of the products are made from recycled nylon.
Lambert is PETA approved and sustainable brand. The firm uses PU leather to manufacture its products. Lambert has earned itself a name in the Vegan world for their outclass bags and accessories.
Your outfit isn’t complete without a pair of chic sunglasses whenever going outside. Or, if you regularly use contact glasses, you need to have a stylish pair of contact glasses to make a statement.
BonLooK is a home-grown Fashion brand in Canada that has made your favorite eyewear since 2011. The brand was co-founded by Sophie Boulanger and her brother Louis Felix.
Today, the brand has more than ten stores across Canada. BonLook offers competitive eyewear at budget-friendly prices.
BONLOOK sells its eyewear itself without involving any middlemen. You can easily shop from a wide range of eyewear from their online store.
FOE AND DEAR define minimalistic jewelry in Canada. This jewelry brand from Canada produces some of the finest jewelry in the country.
Katherine Schlattman, the brand’s founder, started FOE AND DEAR in 2009 with a vision to produce quality jewelry using recycled materials and consider eco-sustainability.
The brand has a strong focus on sustainability and ensures eco-friendly jewelry practices. FOE AND DEAR also work on 2 programs called the “1% for Planet Partnership” and “Community Outreach Program.”
This Fashion industry is based in Vancouver. All of FOE AND DEAR’s pieces are designed in Vancouver.
You can also create your ring online by selecting the diamond, sapphire, and settings of your choice from their online store.
Judith Richardson and Charles Le Pierres started Judith and Charles. Judith and Charles is a modern clothing Fashion brand based in Montreal.
The Canadian Beauty Brand manufactures more than 80% of its products locally. This supports the economy and attracts foreign investors.
Judith and Charles were also awarded the Vêtement Québec Award in 2017 for their contribution to Quebec’s fashion industry.
The brand offers a wide range of clothing for women. Judith and Charles are on a mission to empower women.
In addition, the brand is also a sponsor of Dress for Success Montreal, an NGO working to uplift women in industry and business.
With the inception of its Queen Street West Store in Toronto, the brand started making rounds in the fashion market.
Not so much funky or groovy, the brand produces the best basics every closet needs. KOTN cares for its workers and guarantees good pay and safe working conditions.
This made them a Certified B-Corp. The brand uses ethically sourced cotton from Egyptian Giza, which is used in making top-quality minimalistic clothes.
KOTN started back in 2015. Apart from men’s and women’s clothing, the brand offers a wide range of bed sheets, blankets, and similar items.
You can trace the entire production from farm to table. The brand uses biodegradable materials that degrade at the end of their time. KOTN is a sustainable and eco-conscious brand.
Maida Ghide started ANNAFORA in 2014. The Canadian luxury design company is known for its unorthodox designs and experimental clothing.
African craftsmanship and natural fibers for each clothing item make this brand stand out. Each piece of clothing has a story of its own. You can visit their online store to have a glimpse of what they have to offer.
Ursa Minor is another brand expert in minimalistic designs and high-quality materials. Elizabeth Hudson started the brand in 2012. Ursa Minor is based in Montreal.
Elizabeth is the main mastermind behind all that is happening at Ursa Minor. The brand uses top-notch materials for clothing production, such as organic cotton, linen, and renewable, eco-friendly fibers.
Ursa Minor is women-centric. The company has a wide range of dresses, jumpsuits, tops, bottoms, and outerwear. Minimalism and simplicity reflect in every piece of this brand.
This is why their Ursa Minor has made its way to the hearts of those people that love minimal designs and care for ecosystem preservation.
Maguire or otherwise known as Maguire boutique is a Canadian footwear brand known for its authentic shoes at affordable prices.
The brand is led by women and has a mission to make fashion footwear accessible for everyone. Maguire produces authentic shoes and accessories from top-craftsman worldwide.
Maguire sells its footwear directly from their website and stores. This cuts the need for any middlemen and reduces the overall cost.
That’s why you’ll see that shoes and accessories are fairly priced here. The brand was founded in 2016 by two sisters, Myriam and Romy, and is based in Montreal.
The brand also displays the cost incurred on each product so users can make an informed decision. At Maguire, you can shop from a wide range of footwear and accessories such as clutches, wallets, bags, etc.
LEZE, the label, has quite an exciting story. Tanya and Karen founded the brand to provide comfortable pants for working women.
These pants weren’t only comfortable but could also be recycled. Also, this Sustainable Fashion brand in Canada is keeping a check on its environmental impact.
You can shop from a wide range of tops, bottoms, sweaters, jackets, blazers, accessories, and more.
Canada receives one heck of a cold. The entire country is almost covered in snow for most of the winters.
Considering the extreme conditions, there had to be a brand that would make comfortable footwear for the cold weather.
Sorel is one of Canada’s top footwear companies that has been in the business for decades. This Canadian Fashion Company was founded in 1962 and is based in Kitchener, Ontario.
The brand initially worked on winter footwear but later started to add more products over time. These included outerwear and work apparel.
Warm winter boots and outclass designs are the signature product of the apparel company Sorel.
John Fluevog, with his co-worker Peter Fox, started Fluevog Shoes in 1970. Initially, the brand name was “Fox and Fluevog,” which was later changed to “Fluevog” only due to the separation of the two.
The firm’s first store was opened in Vancouver, and Fluevog is still based in Vancouver. You might have heard of their famous Angel shoes, made from 100% natural latex.
Following the success of Angel shoes, John added more new styles to the footwear collection. This became the success point of the company.
Another unique thing the brand did was experiment with unorthodox and creative materials to use eco-friendly raw materials in their production.
This initiative caught the public’s attention, which added to the brand’s good reputation. The brand also collaborated with several artists and creators.
You can shop from their online store. There is a wide variety for both men and women.
Let’s talk about some bags now. Travel bags or backpacks are one necessary part of everyone’s journey. The right bag provides comfort while traveling and makes you stand out.
Herschel is a Canadian Fashion company specializing in bags. You can find many bags at Herschel, such as backpacks, hip packs, tote bags, crossbody bags, insulated bags, duffle bags, travel bags, and bags for juniors.
Herschel has its apparel and accessories. In collaboration with Sperry, Herschel has also introduced two shoes in its product line.
Two brothers, Jamie Cormack and Lyndon were the founders of Herschel. The brand started its operations in 2009 and is based in Vancouver.
Aritzia is one of the most successful women’s apparel lines in Canada. Aritzia has been in the business since 1984 and is ranked among top Fashion Brands in Canada.
The brand had a humble beginning with a boutique in Oakridge center. Today, Aritzia has established more than 100 stores across North America.
Brian Hill was the founder of Aritzia. The brand uses top factories and mills around the world for its production.
The brand also gives back to the community and has a sense of social responsibility. Aritzia has donated over $40 million to organizations supporting women and girls in workplaces and working for women’s overall well-being.
Aritzia is a complex of more than ten in-house and several outside brands. These brands include Babaton, Calvin Klein, Denim Forum, Vans, Talula, Citizens of Humanity, Marc by Marc Jacob, Sunday Best, Sunday World, and many more.
MACKAGE, a famous Canadian Jacket Brand, is also included in the above list,
You can find almost everything in women’s clothing-related at this store. Explore their online store to understand better the products Aritzia offers.
Tentree is one of those Canadian Fashion brands with the utmost regard for our planet. All of their efforts are directed toward using more sustainable and eco-friendly fibers and materials for their clothing.
The brand’s name, “Tentree” has quite an interesting story. Tentree plants ten trees on every purchase made at their store. From here comes the idea of the brand’s name.
It offers a wide range of tops, bottoms, and activewear for men, women, and kids. Tentree also has a collection of bags, hats, scarves, hair accessories, masks, socks, etc.
Tentree has planted 50 million+ trees up until now and has the aim to plant 1 billion trees by 2030. The Canadian brand also collaborates with charitable organizations worldwide for natural ecosystem rehabilitation.
Dynamite is a huge global fashion retailer with more than 300 stores across Canada and the United States. Dynamite is based in Montreal.
Dynamite has a rich history of more than 45 years in fashion—the brand employs more than 4300 employees.
Dynamite is a women-centric Canadian Apparel manufacturer that has almost everything women-clothing-related. Tops, dresses, bottoms, accessories, you name it. Dynamite has it all.
Last but not least, Kuwalla Tee is another eco-conscious brand working for a better world to live in. The brand is a partner of the “1% for the planet program.”
Kuwalla Tee started in 2012 as a Canadian streetwear brand. A brand that offers premium clothing, keeping sustainability and fashion element in view.
All Kuwalla Tee products are designed in Montreal, while production occurs overseas. Kuwalla Tee’s products can be found in more than 400 retail stores across North America.
These stores include Nordstrom.com, Foot Locker, Macy’s the Park, Below the Belt, the Buckle, etc. Kuwalla Tee has clothing and accessories for both women.
The Canadian fashion market has gained recognition worldwide in the past few decades, with brands that have earned themselves a reputable name.
From athletic wear to classic clothing, trendy eyewear, to minimalistic jewelry, Canadian fashion brands have made their mark in the fashion world.
With a focus on quality, sustainability, and affordability, these brands cater to a wider audience, making fashion accessible to all.
Canada’s fashion industry is continually growing and evolving, and it will be exciting to see what innovative and sustainable brands will emerge from this country.
Anaya Shah is a seasoned consumer product analyst with over 8 years of experience in the retail and e-commerce industries. She holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration with a specialization in Marketing from a top-tier university. Anaya has a keen eye for detail and a passion for uncovering the true value of products, helping consumers make informed decisions. At BrandCritica.com, she brings her expertise in product evaluation, brand analysis, and market trends to deliver trustworthy and insightful content. Connect with Anaya on Instagram for the latest updates and reviews.