Kanuk is a long-standing sportswear brand founded in 1970 in Montréal. Named after a nickname of the Canadian inhabitant, it was born with the aim to create outerwear that could help stand Québec’s distinct climate and could meet its inhabitants habits and lifestyle.For over 50 years, the brand has remained deeply connected to the community it originated from honoring local traditions, craftsmanship, and the Canadian spirit and joie de vivre.

The brand’s heritage is rooted in quality, durability, and care and each garment is characterised by a very cool small owl’s label sewn on the right side of each jacket’s collar. Every garment reflects meticulous attention to detail. It is made with superior materials and produced with extreme care in every single stage of its manufacturing, ensuring comfort and protection in any season.

Slightly more than a year ago Thread Collective bought it. This Canadian holding founded in 1997 owns many other fashion brands including Frank And Oak, Psyco Bunny, Ecko Unltd., Hunter, Nautica, Pajar, Scotch and Soda, and Zooyork.

The company with headquarters in Montreal and showrooms in New York City manages its operations and sourcing in Asia, while it distributes through over 5,000 retail partners worldwide.

Under the leadership of president Elisa Dahan, a long time expert fashion insider, Kanuk has started evolving further to from a heritage outerwear brand into a total look lifestyle brand with an international appeal, though inspired by its Canadian origins, and has just debuted globally through Pitti Uomo in January 2026.

“When Thread Collective bought the company a little bit over a year ago, the idea was really let’s go back to the brand’s roots, as opposed to what it turned into,” explained Dahan. 

“And it was a lot of fun because I think it’s something that’s lacking in the market. I think we are lacking that combination of workwear, country, comfort and versatility. People got used to dressing comfortably, but at the same time, there’s a sophistication in this comfort dressing. That’s what we want to offer—timeless fashion you can pass on to your kids—and think is lacking in the market,” she added.

“I think that people are hungry for newness, and the industry has been kind of static in the last seasons, and everybody’s kind of doing the same thing. I think that we need newness, excitement and something that has true character, a true soul and a true story,” she added underscoring that Italy and Europe are good potential markets for their varied climates and thirst for new ideas and products.

While the brand debuted during the last edition of Pitti Uomo, it launched its fall/winter 2026 Heritage Collection aimed at the European market and expands the brand’s ready-to-wear offering with new sweaters, knit sets, wool styles, cord outerwear, and increased use of Kanuk’s signature sherpa—designed to complement its iconic parkas.

The palette of the season reflects the Canadian landscapes of fall/winter of warm earth tones, leafy greens, deep browns, and the muted golds of trees in transition. These hues accompain pieces designed for movement and comfort, while protecting from cold-weather.

Kanuk offers around 40 styles for men and 40 styles for women. Its outerwear collection is selling at prices between US$550 and US$1000, while in Europe ready-to-wear pieces’ prices can vary from €150 to €400-€500 for a cashmere knit sweater, for example.

While it is distributed to around 30 stores in Quebec, the brand is also selling through its own flagship store in Montreal, in Rue Rachel, opened in 1974 and recently redesigned by by award-winning Canadian studio Burdi Filek. It has also recently opened a new pop-up store at 1066 Rue Saint-Jean in Quebec City, where the Heritage Collection returns closer to its origins.

“We want to be in the best stores, and want it to become a fashion-credible brand. Of course it has all the functionality, but it should be surrounded by the right brands. And being in the right environment for people to truly understand the whole essence of the brand. We know that it takes time to do it properly, so we plant the seed and we nurture it,” added the manager.