Outerwear brand Canada Goose launched Atigi 2.0: A 90-piece collection of handmade parkas, designed by 18 Inuit designers in Canada. Atigi 2.0 is the second such collaboration Canada Goose has kicked off to celebrate Inuit designs and how Inuit culture has long influenced the brand. Hailing from four Inuit regions – Nunavut, Nunavik, Nunatsiavut and Inuvialuit – the designers retain full ownership of their designs and receive a commission for their work. All remaining proceeds are donated to Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, an organization supporting Inuit communities. Each parka retails for USD 2,395 and Canada Goose is not profiting from sales.
Here are two prompts for your team brought on by this collection:
Cultural creditors. Consumers have become much more sensitive to power imbalances that occur when big brands steal from (or insult) traditions, cultures and groups. In the fashion industry, it has become so heated that even governments feel compelled to speak out. Carolina Herrera had the Mexican government on her case when her brand appropriated indigenous designs. The NYC Commission on Human Rights involved itself in Prada’s operations after blackface-like Pradamalia figures adorned shop windows. Even if you’re not in fashion, your brand must respond to climbing expectations. It’s time to put emphatic consideration into how your brand is inspired by/interacts with different cultures. Canada Goose acknowledged that Inuit communities have inspired the company for 60 years. How will you thank and collaborate with the external groups that have helped shape your brand or category?
Local love, global stage. The Atiga 2.0 collection also offers a great example of how a brand can tap into the heritage of a locale and address a global audience at the same time. Canada Goose showered LOCAL LOVE on Inuit creators, providing them with a great opportunity to express their creativity and culture, while earning a commission. Simultaneously, Canada Goose’s brand prestige is introducing the wider world to Inuit designs and culture. How can you spark the world’s curiosity and showcase your brand’s region and unique communities? And consider that this is the second iteration of the Atiga initiative. Could you make collaborations like this more than a one-time effort and a staple of your strategy?
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