Amid tariff war, Vancouver fashion brands call out the importance of local manufacturing of garments now more than ever.
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Throughout her 50-plus years in business, Christine Morton has seen a lot of things change.
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Cut-and-sew clothing manufacturers make up just 9.5 per cent of the jobs within that local manufacturing sector.
“Manufacturing in Canada is a challenge,” Morton says. “Right at the beginning, I had people offering to take my brand to China … but it really didn’t appeal to me at all.”
So, she set out to create her own network of sewers for her luxury garments, which include vintage-inspired lingerie, sleepwear and dresses made from delicate silks and lace. She counts Jane Fonda, Chrissy Teigen and the Kardashians among the celebrities who’ve worn her designs.
Morton recalls hearing about a young seamstress from Laos who had immigrated to Canada through her church’s sponsorship program. She hired her to help create her designs and would go on to hire several other seamstresses through the same program.
“Along with her mother, her grandmother, her sisters, her cousin, all these different, very creative, lovely people started working for me. And that was really the backbone of my business,” Morton says. “And has been over the years.”
That first sewer, Alina Chang, is now the head seamstress at Christine Designs, running the production with her husband. The brand’s local sewers work from home in addition to the production that is done in the studio at 821 Powell St. Morton estimates 75 to 80 per cent of production is completed in sewers’ homes.
“It’s a major part of my production,” she says, noting some sewers are on salary with the company while others are paid by piecework. “They have children, and they can work when it’s easy for them to fill in their time, and have an income and make beautiful things,” Morton says. “So that, to me, was really a nice way to do things.”
What was once preferential for the business owner now seems particularly prescient, given the call for more Canadian options following the March 4 introduction of 25 per cent tariffs on certain Canadian goods entering the U.S.
A ‘dying art’
Morton isn’t the only local brand working to support — and grow — the local manufacturing industry. Several small brands spanning swimwear to ready-to-wear have popped up over the past decade that emphasize a locally designed and made approach.
“I always knew that, as I evolved into more categories, I really wanted to be close to production and be able to have local manufacturing and mindful production as a part of our ethos,” Power says. “Everything we sell is now made within a 25-kilometre radius of our Vancouver office.”
Working with a wide range of local manufacturing partners, from a local factory that can handle bulk orders for wholesale clients, to single home-sewers who can create product samples and smaller runs, Power admits building her network for local production has been a struggle.
“It’s been challenging at times to find local, skilled technicians in our industry who are able to grow with us,” Power says. “Sewing has been a bit of a dying art over here as younger generations are seeking careers in other industries that have better opportunities for them long-term than sewing or factory work.”
The local entrepreneur says a handful of local factories and studios have closed since COVID-19, primarily due to a lack of skilled workers in the area.
“I completely understand the need for new generations to expand and seek more abundant career opportunities if they want to thrive in Canada,” says Power. “It’s just a shame that we are losing the ability to weave ‘Made in Canada’ into our products — not just in fashion, but in a lot of other sectors.”
At a cost
Local production allows brands to keep tabs on manufacturing, have quicker access to samples and product turnaround, and helps to strengthen the local industry.
But all this comes at a cost.
“This makes for really high factory overheads.”
Because of higher costs during manufacturing, locally made products often come at a higher price than what many consumers are used to seeing at fast-fashion and department stores.
“The last couple years in particular, with a huge rise of ultrafast — and cheap — fashion I’ve noticed a decline in the demand for Canadian-made,” says Sternberg. “And as a result, local factories are struggling to keep enough work on their production lines to stay in business.”
Noting some customers do express “sticker shock” when they encounter the prices of Christine Designs, Morton notes that there’s an education required with some shoppers for them to understand why her pieces cost $450 rather than, say, $45.
“It’s paying your seamstresses and your staff, all your staff, a good wage,” Morton adds. “And then, it’s also the rent. And the rents have gone up considerably over the years.”
Tariff turmoil
The tariff saga with the U.S. is throwing a curveball for locally made clothing brands as they brace for the potential long-term impact of an increased cost of doing business south of the border.
“The tariffs could greatly impact our ability to plan, grow and operate on a day-to-day basis,” says Power. “We are having to create strategic backup plans to export orders and figure out how to maintain our revenue that partially relies on a growing customer base from the U.S.
“I’m finding it incredibly difficult to make even simple plans for the next quarter as we’re hearing it could trigger a recession in both economies.”
For Sternberg, who notes Free Label sells about 40 per cent of its product to the U.S., she’s anticipating a “huge impact” for her business — and other Canadian brands.
“After a couple tumultuous years for small business, I don’t believe we can survive that kind of blow to our sales if American customers stop coming to us,” Sternberg says. “I am concerned that even with the added cost of tariffs on American products and a new-found enthusiasm for Canada goods, there isn’t enough of a financial incentive for customers to shop Canadian-made because it is just more expensive.”
Sternberg still worries the current high cost of living across the country could render Canadian-made goods as too much of a luxury for everyday consumers to justify. But, the local business owner is hopeful the broader takeaway for shoppers will be to know where their money is going — and what those dollars support.
“The only way forward for locally made is for our mindset as consumers to change,” Sternberg says. “If we were better educated on the process of Canadian-made and understood the impact of buying locally versus big-box, we would be more inclined to do with less, save up and invest in our local communities.
“Why line a billionaire’s pocket when you can help put food on the dinner table for your neighbour?”