CUSTOMER INSIGHTS: STEMARGSCOT
with Sasha Jardine
HD®Wool and STEMARGSCOT
SteMargScot consists of a small but mighty start up team in Toronto. Our Toronto team consists of 2 boutique production houses, a social media manager, a web developer, marketing consultants, and myself (founder, CEO). Although my background is in drug discovery and biochemistry, I found myself frustrated with the lack of outerwear options and the sea of plastic puffers dominating the market, especially in men’s outerwear. I dreamed about a warm coat that could be versatile enough to wear with sweats or slacks, a coat that utilizes colour to boost moods and energize its wearer, and one only made with low-impact renewable materials (no plastic and metal parts). Simply put, SteMargScot’s mission is to create outerwear that reconnects people to colour and nature.
After realizing that the outerwear market is dominated by “poly” fill, a synthetic fibre derived from fossil fuels, my goal was to find a renewable alternative. I’ve always been fascinated by wool, specifically its ability to insulate and regulate body temperature. I was drawn to HDwool because they provide wool that’s specific for the purpose of garment insulation. I was most impressed that they use British traceable wool, derived from farms with regenerative practices.
HOW WAS WORKING WITH THE HD®WOOL TEAM?
The HD® Wool team is phenomenal. They have been professional, very amenable, and supportive. I’ve been impressed by the team’s integrity (Gary and those at head office) because they follow through and deliver when they promise to!
“Color is a power which directly influences the soul” – Kandinsky said it best. Clothing is form of self-expression. When we wear the colours we love, we feel seen. Choice allows consumers to have agency in their lives, to be their own stylists or creative directors, one outfit at a time.
Beyond clothing, colour is deeply rooted in culture and language. Evolutionary pressure has given humans innate cognitive links between colours with emotions. Linguistically, we use colourful words to highlight emotion. We describe feeling blue when we are sad, feeling green with envy or seeing red when we are angry. We wear black to funerals and white to weddings.
At SteMargScot, we deeply appreciate the colourful world we live in and embrace how it makes us feel. We are inspired by vibrant colours in nature. We have intentionally chosen small batch, low impact OEKO-Tex dyes with as little byproducts as possible to limit the negative impact our coats will have on our environment.
We have harnessed the power of bright and saturated colours for our coats to uplift our spirits on even the darkest of days.
WHAT EXCITES YOU THE MOST ABOUT THE PRODUCT YOU ARE PRODUCING AT THE MOMENT?
We are most excited to create a product that doesn’t force customers to choose between colour and conservation. In the current market, colour is often associated with “cheap and cheerful” while eco-conscientious brands trend to offer more classic palettes. We hope to get people excited about the future with this collection of sustainable winter coats that are both functional and bold.
IF YOU COULD DESCRIBE SOME OF THE NEW PRODUCTS OR PROJECTS YOU HAVE IN THE PIPE-LINE IN 3 WORDS, WHAT WOULD THEY BE?
Our second collection is already in the planning stages, it’s going to be warm & wildly vivid!
WHY DO YOU THINK MORE PEOPLE SHOULD BE CHOOSING UK WOOL FOR THEIR APPAREL PRODUCTS?
Sheep farming is a cherished trade in the UK, which means that there is confidence in animal welfare (non mulesed sheep) and stringent agricultural regulations. Farmers in the UK have been raising sheep for millennia’s resulting in a generational transfer of knowledge that creates a deep understanding of the relationship between sheep and the land. British wool is hearty and perfect for winter outerwear requiring heavy duty meltons that keep the air, moisture and wind out.
Our wooden toggles have an essence of the “objet d’art”. A local female artisan crafts our togglest from remnant pieces of hard maple. Each toggle is hand branded with the SteMargScot emblem and rubbed with 100% pure hemp oil, produced by a local farm. These substantial toggles are iconic for the Heritage Coat.
Head to SteMargScot’s website to see the collection and learn more about the brand.
