In this episode, Andréanne Mulaire, founder and designer of Anne Mulaire shares her journey of building a sustainable fashion brand rooted in her Métis heritage. She discusses the importance of authenticity and her commitment to ethical manufacturing and community support in the age of fast fashion. Anne emphasizes the significance of storytelling in fashion and how her cultural background influences her designs. She also highlights her initiatives to reduce waste and promote sustainability within the fashion industry, while offering valuable advice for aspiring entrepreneurs.
About Andréanne Mulaire
Anne Mulaire is an award-winning fashion brand founded by Red River Métis designer, Andréanne Mulaire Dandeneau. This woman-led brand blends ethical manufacturing, inclusivity and Indigenous teachings, setting new standards for sustainable fashion in Canada. Rooted in Winnipeg, Manitoba, the brand started 20 years ago in Andreane’s parents' basement. Her collections celebrate Métis heritage through vibrant designs, eco-friendly practices, and empowering Indigenous communities.
Innovative practices have cut the brand's carbon footprint by 30%, reduced 15,000 pounds of textile waste, and lowered emissions equal to 143,200 kilometers of driving. In 2024, Anne Mulaire received the Sustainable Business Award from the Red River Métis Excellence Awards, nomination from the Canadian Arts and Fashion Awards, and Clean 50 Award in 2025. As Canada's first Indigenous-owned B Corp certified apparel manufacturer Anne Mulaire champions integrity, transparency, and sustainability.
Contact info
Website: https://annemulaire.ca/
Instagram: @annemulaire
Facebook: AnneMulaire
Takeaways
- Stay rooted in your beliefs to maintain authenticity.
- Customers are drawn to brands with compelling stories.
- Fashion should reflect personal and cultural identity.
- Sustainability is about relationships and responsibility.
- Education plays a key role in promoting sustainability.
- Design with the end of life in mind for products.
- Navigating challenges requires resilience and creativity.
- Local community support can contribute greatly to brand success.
- Surround yourself with like-minded individuals for guidance.
Interview themes
What does it mean to build a brand rooted in cultural identity and values?
Andréanne Mulaire built her brand with a strong sense of purpose tied to her Métis heritage, a connection that informs everything from her design process to company values. Rather than following mainstream trends, she chose to tell a story through her clothing—one of resilience, craftsmanship, and community. Her parents encouraged her to define what kind of designer and entrepreneur she wanted to be from the start, prompting her to center her business around authenticity, Indigenous teachings, and environmental stewardship.
How does storytelling create emotional connection and customer loyalty?
For Andréanne, storytelling isn’t just part of her marketing—it’s embedded in the product itself. Each collection reflects family history, cultural knowledge, and artistic collaboration, especially with her father, a retired art teacher and painter. His artwork adorns many of the brand’s garments, turning them into pieces of wearable heritage. This intergenerational partnership brings meaning to the clothes and connects with customers on a deeper level. As she says, people aren’t just buying clothing—they’re investing in values, legacy, and identity.
What role does community support play in sustainable fashion entrepreneurship?
Anne Mulaire’s success is inseparable from the support of her Winnipeg community. A pivotal moment early in her journey was being encouraged to return home to launch her business, rather than chase opportunity elsewhere. That local backing—from Métis and Francophone communities to word-of-mouth support—has helped her thrive for two decades. She credits long-time customers and regional connections for helping her grow while staying true to her mission.
How does a brand stay sustainable through both design and operations?
Sustainability for Andréanne goes far beyond choosing eco-friendly fabrics. From the start, she considered the full life cycle of each product—designing garments that could be easily repaired, upcycled, or returned. Her Return to Nature program includes six streams: repair, resale, zero-waste collections, donation partnerships, fiber recycling, and research through a dedicated Fiber Lab team. She even selects construction methods that make future repairs easier, prioritizing longevity over trendiness.
What are the challenges of choosing purpose over profit?
Building a Canadian-made, Métis-owned, and sustainability-driven brand meant turning down cheaper production options and resisting industry pressure to compromise. Early advice to move offshore or “pick just one value” was difficult to hear—but Andréanne stayed rooted in her purpose. This clarity helped her withstand challenges and remain authentic, even when Indigenous storytelling was not widely celebrated. Her experience illustrates that resilience and long-term thinking are essential for founders who want to stay aligned with their values.
How do you scale a mission-driven brand without losing authenticity?
Andréanne recognizes the tension between growth and integrity. Her solution is to selectively scale only certain pieces of the business while maintaining exclusivity and cultural respect in others, such as her Heritage Collection. She believes not everything should be mass produced—and that the handmade, small-batch approach keeps the soul of the brand intact. Even as she plans new ventures like a Banff boutique, she stays grounded in the company’s origins and mission.
How can design decisions support circularity from the start?
Every design decision at Anne Mulaire is made with circularity in mind—from fiber selection to stitch type. For example, she deliberately avoids certain seam finishes because they’re harder to repair. These behind-the-scenes considerations, like making leggings easier to mend, have kept hundreds of garments in circulation. To date, the company has repaired over 800 pairs of leggings that would have otherwise ended up in landfills. Andréanne’s team even quantifies product-level impact by displaying water, energy, and carbon savings on the website—offering full transparency into their sustainability efforts.
What advice does Andréanne have for aspiring fashion entrepreneurs?
Start with your “why” and let it guide every decision, Andréanne says. Don’t wait for perfection—launch small, stay curious, and keep learning. Surround yourself with people who share your values, and don’t be afraid to pivot when needed. Hire slowly and intentionally, and prioritize your own well-being. Andréanne emphasizes that success isn’t about fast growth or big profits—it’s about building a business that creates positive impact and stays true to its purpose over time.
Chapters
00:00 Staying Rooted in Authenticity
02:06 The Birth of a Brand: Inspiration and Heritage
09:54 Filling the Gap: Ethical Fashion in a Fast Fashion World
11:48 Defining Sustainability: Values and Relationships
17:57 Navigating Challenges: Staying True to Values
20:32 Community Support: The Backbone of Success
23:50 Creating Impact: Education and Sustainability Initiatives
30:06 Designing for the Future: End-of-Life Considerations
34:07 Looking Ahead: Future Projects and Growth
35:30 Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs: Starting with Your Why
Transcript
Andréanne Mulaire
What's really important is to stay rooted because the reason I'm still in business today is because I stayed rooted in what I really believed and nobody can take that away. It is my story and it makes me who I am and it makes me also different than other companies. So I think that's very important because even today it's about, well, why are you special? Like how can you make yourself special? Because customers want, they don't want the same thing. They want authenticity, they want the, you know, the real of a company and their story. They're attracted to storytelling to different companies and their different stories. Yeah, it made me who I am differently from other competitors and something that could not be replicated.
Glynis Tao
Welcome to Chase Your Dreams, a podcast for fashion entrepreneurs who want to build a purposeful and profitable clothing business so they can make a living doing what they love. I'm your host, Glynis Tao, an apparel business consultant and SEO specialist with 20 years apparel industry experience. I'm also a mom to a wonderfully energetic little boy named Chase.
Anne Mulaire is an award-winning fashion brand founded by Red River Métis designer, Andreane Mulaire Dandeneau. This woman-led brand blends ethical manufacturing, inclusivity and Indigenous teachings, setting new standards for sustainable fashion in Canada. Rooted in Winnipeg, Manitoba, the brand started 20 years ago in Andreane’s parents' basement. Her collections celebrate Métis heritage through vibrant designs, eco-friendly practices, and empowering Indigenous communities.
Innovative practices have cut the brand's carbon footprint by 30%, reduced 15,000 pounds of textile waste, and lowered emissions equal to 143,200 kilometers of driving. In 2024, Anne Mulaire received the Sustainable Business Award from the Red River Métis Excellence Awards, nomination from the Canadian Arts and Fashion Awards, and Clean 50 Award in 2025.
As Canada's first Indigenous-owned B Corp certified apparel manufacturer Anne Mulaire champions integrity, transparency, and sustainability.
Welcome Anne, it's so nice to have you here today. Thanks for joining me on the podcast.
Andréanne Mulaire
You're so welcome. Thank you for the invite.
Glynis Tao
My pleasure. You have such an incredible and inspiring story, having established a name in the Canadian fashion industry. I felt I needed to talk to you and have you share your story with our listeners.
Andréanne Mulaire
That's awesome. I love to share it. I don't always have the opportunity, so I really appreciate the time that you're taking aside for me.
Glynis Tao
Great. So let's start at the beginning. What inspired you to launch Angoulas? Was there a specific moment or experience that sparked the idea?
Andréanne Mulaire
Yeah, well, I always loved creating with my hands. So the real spark came from wanting to see fashion that reflected who I was, my Métis roots, my respect for the earth, my belief that clothes should be made with care and intention. From a long time ago, I was always very mindful about the planet. And that's how the values that my parents instilled in me.
So when I was in school in Montreal, when I was doing my fashion school, I was always using natural fibers. The moment that my aha moment, when we talk about those moments, it's when I was doing my last year exam and we had to create a couture dress. And I really wanted to do something in the natural fibers. So I decided to do a dress in hemp. And I was adamant to create a dress that was red carpet.
Because the feedback I had received from when I mentioned that to my teachers, they said, well, don't be surprised if it does not end up on the runway. And if you had your dress on the runway, you had extra points. So it's, it's almost like you, you had to have it on the runway. And so I thought, okay, I'm going to prove them wrong because obviously they don't know the capacity of what natural can look like. So I really worked hard on hemp silk, hemp jacquard, hemp lace.
I looked everywhere and I had sourced some fabric in the US and I had paid everything with my own cents and dollars and I made this beautiful dress all in hemp and they were so surprised and they could not believe that it was a natural fiber and I felt like, am I educating you about this today?
So that's where I really felt I had a space in the fashion industry. The fact that first of all, people didn't believe in me or in the fact that I could create something for the runway in eco fabrics and also the education about fashion, runway fashion shouldn't be disposable. It should be something that you're taking from the earth and you got to give it back to the earth somehow. So what's that cycle and that, you know, that mini education.
So all this to say that was the big spark, but also if I fast forward a little bit, so I started my company in my parents' basement and what I also noticed was, I remember a moment where my dad was, we were collaborating together and I had showed up in the morning and he was still in his house coat, no coffee in hand and painting on our dresses that we had collaborated. And I had really thought through at that moment, I'm like, you know what, we are creating something special. This is not just clothing we're doing, but we're really creating something meaningful together. And that was the path. That's like the big decisions on everything that I put behind the company and the mindfulness about that decisions that I put into the company comes from those moments.
Glynis Tao
Your Métis heritage and family history play such an important role in your brand's story. Can you tell us more about your cultural background and how it shaped the brand's identity?
Andréanne Mulaire
Yeah, so my Métis heritage, it's at the heart of everything we do. Growing up, I was surrounded with stories, beadwork, florals, traditions that holds really big history and resilience. And so I was really honored that I was able to create clothing that tells a story. That's huge for me.
The one question my parents asked me before starting my company, they said, what kind of designer do you want to be? What kind of business owner do you want to be? Because at that point, I thought I was just going to be an artist and create clothing. But they said, no, you're going to become an entrepreneur by doing what you love to do. So what kind of entrepreneur, what kind of designer, what story are you going to tell? That really made me think about who I am and where I came from, you know, the rest is. So I was very proud to use my story and to tell a story through craftsmanship and every way that I could through my clothing. And I find it, you can see, you look at the clothing and I personally, see roots, you see the rooted, you know, the value rooted in them. And I'm hoping to pass that down to generations with respect, sustainability and community.
Glynis Tao
Yeah, absolutely. I could really see that heritage woven into your designs. Just like such beautiful, you know, wearable art, I guess, if you could call it that. And where do you get the art, you know, the designs that you put on your clothing from?
Andréanne Mulaire
So that's with my dad. So this is where I think it's so special because we've been collaborating for 20 years. And I do find it's the one of the most special things. He was an art teacher before. So to see him going back to his first love of art, I remember when he was a kid, he would be, all his brothers, sisters would be on the farm, working on the farm. And his dad had asked, my grandpa had asked him to be in the kitchen and to paint the house, the homestead.
And so he was loving, know, he's like, I didn't have to be on the farm, but I was painting the homestead and his dad's like, you are an artist. And I could just feel him, you know, when he was a kid and just that feeling like that proudness.
And so when I started my company, he was also retiring. So we started just the fact that I said, I want to keep my story alive and just share the indigenous people history of Canada. Cause I find fashion and history go hand in hand. It's very important. So that's what he started doing paintings and we would say, on this dress, it would be amazing to have, what's a healing plant that we use and Northern Willow and let's tell the story of that, okay. And then for leggings, how about what can we draw? And we would do these beautiful collaborations. And to today, all the art is made by him. And sometimes we do other collaborations with other artists, which is really nice. That's super special too. So that's definitely a family affair.
Glynis Tao
Yeah, it definitely is. That's really nice.
Andréanne Mulaire
I was thinking about that today too because I do find it special also because it's his legacy continuing, his education, his storytelling, his stories. And I find every time we talk about something like a new launch or a new design, there's so much depth and wisdom that I gather from that. And that print, they never go away. They're so classic. They're so timeless that it gives so much hope and just also you know strength and just so much love to other people buying it. They feel it. I find that's it's so beautiful, that's authenticity of craftsmanship, but you know of good quality. Products, you know, you know something that has good values.
Glynis Tao
And so when you started the brand early days, what gap did you see in the fashion industry that you felt compelled to fill?
Andréanne Mulaire
Well, this is no surprise, but we know fast fashion is everywhere and it's disconnected from the land. Like we know that from the maker, from the story. So I wanted to, I wanted to slow it down. I knew it was going to be a huge undertaking because a small fish in the big pond, you think about that. But I saw we needed more ethical, inclusive and cultural-conscious fashion made clothing that's made here in Canada. That was the biggest thing. Not just clothing that looks good, but do good. And that customers, when you think about it, they invest a lot of their hard money. It's like everybody that makes money, they work hard for their money. And they invest, when they buy things, you invest in the companies. That's the way I think of purchasing, consummation. I think of that every time I put in my dollars in something, you know, do I support their value? I, my investment, where is that going to go?
So I want to bring that back and just to put, you know, make, make sure that there could be a company, fashion company that would respond to a lot of what the fast fashion can't and to show it's possible in Canada.
Glynis Tao
Yeah, and that's really what I love about you and your brand and having that longevity to be in business for as long as you have, showing that you can be sustainable and be purpose driven, lead with your values and not just, you know, that there's only fast fashion as the option out there, right?
Yeah. so sustainability is at the core of your brands. How did you define find what sustainability would look like for Anne Mulaire from the start.
Andréanne Mulaire
Okay, so it's not easy. It's not always easy. But for me, it came down to relationships and responsibility. So I stay grounded by listening to my community, that's number one, and collaborating with other Indigenous artists or elders and always checking in with myself. I think that's super important. What aligns, what doesn't align with my values, you know, making decisions. I've had to do a lot of tough decisions throughout my 20 years in business.
And it's not always like they say, it's not the easy decision is the right decision. And so that has always been very important for me to always make sure I do my due diligence. And at the end of the day, do I still want to wake up in the morning and face myself and say, I made the right decision because that's what I believe in. But yeah, it's always about, you know, growth is important, so we always have to do it, but integrity is non-negotiable for a lot of what I do.
Glynis Tao
I love that. And you say a lot of that on your website as well, that you list a lot of those values to your brand. So I guess just to take it one step further in terms of your designs are beautifully blend together, indigenous culture, equal consciousness and modern fashion.
How do you stay true to your values while ensuring cultural authenticity and respect as the business growth?
Andréanne Mulaire
Well, there's one thing that, so we have a really nice collection in our brand. It's called the Heritage Collection. And those are pieces that we make small amounts of because I believe that scaling, like something special can't be scaled. So when you think about scaling, see big, as soon as a company scales, they lose their authenticity. They lose their integrity. But for us, it's always been important that, you know, we need growth. We want to grow, but what pieces are growing and which pieces are staying authentic. And, you know, absolutely it's always, it's hard with the capital and things like that. But I think at the end, it's just, you know, working from my parents' basement and doing everything myself, I was able to really analyze and just understand every step of a company. And even today, you know, I learned, now I find I'm in the part where I learned a lot of the business side. And that's where you have to be careful because you will be told so many different directions to go. You know, but you have to be rooted so strong in the beginning where you, you know, where are proud to be for those decisions, not to weigh you on one side or the other kind of thing. I don't know if I'm making kind of sense.
Glynis Tao
Yeah, it does. Just to ask you another question, do you have any mentors or teachers that have helped you along this way, along your journey?
Andréanne Mulaire
Yeah, I think it's always important to try to surround yourself with the right people that carries the same values. So of course, I've had my family, I have an older brother that also is an entrepreneur, and he's been very supportive and being honest with his mistakes for me not to make the same mistakes. And I really appreciate that. You know, that's vulnerable to appreciate that. And, and just to have other business owners that I really value what they do and just having their feedback on things. I think that's important. You can't do it alone. And there's so much that you don't know. And so I always say, you know, educate, educate, educate.
Glynis Tao
But let's talk about the behind the scenes. What were some of the biggest challenges you faced in the early stages of the brand?
Andréanne Mulaire
Well, definitely the time I was told that offshore production should be the thing I should head to because I should cut my costs and then go offshore. The fact that I had the triple threat, is Métis-owned, Métis-designed, Made in Canada and sustainability, I should just only pick one. So those are all things that definitely was very hard to swallow and just to acknowledge because yes, those were the things that I was really believing in and are very hard to grow a company where profits are not huge. Right?
When you make in Canada, you don't get the same profit as when you do overseas. When you have a, you know, an indigenous story where at the beginning in 2005, not a lot of people were very positive about the fact that I was, you know, telling my Indigenous story, and so it was not super popular. But you navigate through those times and again makes what's really important is to stay rooted because the reason I'm still in business today is because I stayed rooted in what I really believed and nobody can take that away.
It is my authentic, story, and it makes me who I am. And it makes me also different than other companies. So I think that's very important because even today it's about, well, why are you special? Like, how can you make yourself special? Because customers want, they don't want the same thing. They want the authenticity. They want the, you know, the real of a company and their story. They're attracted to storytelling to different companies and their different stories. So yeah, it made me who I am differently from other competitors and something that could not be replicated by just copying, you know.
Glynis Tao
Yeah, so it sounds like you have really stayed true to yourself as a designer, as a brand, being B-Court certified too is an amazing achievement, right? Because I know that's not easy the whole process to be certified. Like have you ever faced any pressures to compromise your values in order to grow and how did you navigate that?
Andréanne Mulaire
Well, again, definitely the pressure with the fast fashion, you know, the consummation. So a great example is when Black Friday comes along. It's like, how do you compete with all the brands doing so many amazing deals? And at the end, it's you have to, and this is where, you know, my mentors have always told me, stay true to who you are. Don't give in just because you feel like you have to, because then you'll just be a part of what they're doing.
You're not gonna be on your, you know, you're not gonna be your unique self. So, you know, it's about being creative and when you are a minority in so many aspects, you start to be very creative and think outside the box and find unique ways to look different. So that's what I think we've been, not I think, I believe that we've been like so good at doing that because from the beginning, it's almost, called resilience. It's like going through so many obstacles and trying to say, how do I get out of it? And then you find another way to pivot and find another way to pivot.
It's almost to the point where we are experts in pivoting because we've gone through so many obstacles, you know? And so it's always, I'm sure we're going to go through more obstacles, but it's always going to be okay. What is the right way versus what's the right thing to do in this moment? And how do we stay also true to our values and to what the brand means to a lot of people and to us. so, but to go back to the B Corp, that was huge for us because it like it validated everything that we've been working towards, social responsibility, environmental standards, ethical practices.
But you know, to be honest, like the honest, to be honest, one of the biggest moment that I have more personal, but it's been more personal for me. It was seeing customers wear our clothing to like family gatherings and to share what it means to them to connect with their culture. Like I think sometimes having these stamps or, you know, awards, those are great because it's almost a social proof. But at the end of the day, it's really seeing the amount of customers you build and the community you build wearing what you're making.
For anybody that's an artist, seeing your product sold in a house or seeing somebody wearing your jewelry is the most proud moment that you can imagine. And I think that's what the effect is on a small company versus a huge brand because you don't have that person that gets affected right away.
Glynis Tao
Love that. And I think that leads right into my next question, which is how important has your local community been in supporting the brand from Winnipeg to the broader Canadian fashion scene?
Andréanne Mulaire
So important, you know, it makes or breaks your brand, your business, if you don't have support from your community. Word of mouth. I always say word of mouth is the best marketing tactic because they believe people take who their loved ones seriously versus if we could put so much money in marketing, but it wouldn't have the same effect as the word of mouth or having a friend saying to a friend and also the support of the French community, the Métis community. It makes a huge difference. I'll tell you a story.
So after school, I graduated in Montreal for fashion. Then I decided to go to Toronto because I thought, I'm going to get a job in Toronto. That's where it should be. But then I had a meeting with Michael Silver from Silver Jeans in Winnipeg and he said, come back to Winnipeg. Your community will support you. You'll be able to open your store or your boutique or whatever you want to. You need that support. And he was not wrong. Like it's exactly what I did. I packed up myself. I came back to Winnipeg and I started my company and I've had the, you know, immense support from everybody since then. And I couldn't have done it alone. So I always say my successes is the people that support me, my community, my customers that's been with me for 20 years. I've had customers with me for 20 years, you know? It's amazing.
Glynis Tao
That is amazing and I'm actually quite impressed of how many there are quite a few apparel companies in Winnipeg right. It's like you mentioned silver jeans. Is Canada Goose based there?
Andréanne Mulaire
Yeah, have their, that's where the old silver jeans where they used to manufacture. Now they have some of the, that manufacture.
Glynis Tao
They do, right?
Andréanne Mulaire
Yeah. And they have their factory there amongst others.
Glynis Tao
So that's great. It's really great to hear that you're able to build a clothing brand and a successful clothing brand out of your hometown. Yeah. I mean, that must feel great to be able to do what you love in the city that you grew up in.
Andréanne Mulaire
Yeah, as much as know entrepreneurship is it's it's not easy but that's the beauty of you know believing in your product and the fact that I get to wake up every day and I know I'm making a difference because I have you know how many people I've employed in Winnipeg and the fact that they love working here they feel like a family I love that feeling coming in and hearing them laugh it's one of the best sounds and you know the fact that I'm able to share a lot of my knowledge and also my values to a lot of customers that wanted to transition in sustainability but didn't know how or what.
And I find our education has really helped them even with our Return to Nature programs, the fact that they can bring it back, get repaired and all that. I hear more and more, this is my first piece and I'm so excited to keep on just growing slowly and those are just music to my ears when I hear that creating impact. And that's another thing that when I started the company, I had made myself, I knew I wanted to create a change. That was the number one. I wanted to reduce it with the waste in the industry, in the fashion industry. I had done some courses at the University of Manitoba in human ecology. So I had done a lot of case studies about the child labor, the behind the scene before actually I did my fashion industry at fashion school.
So I knew that behind the scene more and the waste and the fabrics. so I already knew that we were using it. It was going beyond. And so when I started a company, it was really to reduce the waste, but also to create fashion in a way more ethically and sustainable way. But to see customers seeing our company and then wanting to follow and transition into that slow fashion, that sustainable movement, that's our impact. And I said, yeah, maybe I don't make a lot of money in my pocket.
I'm not a big profit person. But that's not my goal. My goal is to be a CEO that creates impact versus a CEO that creates profit.
Glynis Tao
Can you speak a little bit about your initiatives on like how you divert textile waste, you are reducing carbon emissions?
Andréanne Mulaire
I can go for days because I love talking about that. But so in 2021, we did a really full audit of our whole supply chain. And it's really cool because you can go on our site and when you're looking at different products, you can see how much carbon emission you're saving from that product, water, energy saving. So it gives you real time of the positive impact of that product. So that's one thing. But we also launched a whole return to nature program, which it's like a, it's the holistic approach to reducing waste in our own company. Cause again, on a side note, I always say every company is, should be, should be responsible for their own waste. So whatever waste you create, if it's energy, if it's tangible or whatever, you should be responsible for your own waste. So for us, it was important to look at a holistic approach and see how customers can participate as well.
So our Return to Nature program is based on six programs. Number one, it's repair, where you can bring back any clothing that you have and we will repair it. We also have a 90-day guarantee, so we repair for free. And then second is a resale program, where, okay, you've worn your piece, so you have older piece, you bring it back, and then it's a take-back program, basically.
And then we have our revive and slash zero waste collection program where we will upcycle and reuse waste from our post production. So the season before production remnants, when we've done our big cuts, we have like bags. So we'll do a collection twice a year. It's called the zero waste collection and we reuse those. And that's a fun, creative, one of a kind collection. And then we have three more but that's more on the back end of because doing these programs in order to have it fully circular, there's some research and development that needs to be done. we have the fourth is the down cycle. So that's where we have remnants, but we can't do anything with that. But we do donate to any community engagement or community areas.
We just had a company come in, a nonprofit, and they were filling out punching bags and they came in and grabbed four bags and they're filling those up and then these are for community activities this summer. And so amazing, cool project that we get to hear about. And then we also have our down cycle, is where we have the down cycle and the recycle and we have fiber lab. So fiber lab is our team that does all the research and development for new fibers. That's where we did a collaboration with University of Manitoba.
And we looked at the bi-gradable ability of our fabrics and how do we move to the next phase to finding bi-gradable fabrics. So they're doing the research and development of all that. And our bio cycle and recycling program is where we did, we launched that last fall and we're going to continue this fall where we use 10,000 pounds of our waste and we recycled it in these socks. We did socks for the first time because it's universal.
But that was the one, our goal is to create clothing so we don't have, I mean, fabric. So we don't want to be buying virgin fabric all the time. But ideally would be to recycle your own waste into fabric so then you can just keep recycling. So it becomes a full loop all the time. And at the end of the day, you know, you can't do that forever.
But if you can relieve, if you can keep things in the loop a bit longer, and this is great for any customers, think hearing this, you keep your shirt, you wear your shirt longer, maybe two or three months longer, it takes away so many carbon emission and also water from the landfill. And it just, that's the key of keeping things off the landfill and to be sustainable. It's to wear things longer. And so keeping into the loop, that's the key of sustainability.
Glynis Tao
Do you actually consider all that at the very beginning of the design process then? You're probably considering the end of life?
Andréanne Mulaire
Yes. Yeah, that's a great question because a lot of people, don't know, but when we design our collection, we always design with the end life first, and then we move forward and, you know, we move to the design. A lot of the times, you know, people are looking at a fabric and they're like, that's pretty. Okay, I'm going to design and then they go to the end life. But then that fabric might not be composable or it could be 100% plastic, which will take 200 plus years to decompose. It could have synthetics or it could have zippers or buttons, which is totally fine. for us, either way I design is I always think, okay, well, if anybody had to repair this, how would I repair this? Okay, I need to make sure that it's repairable because that goes into my loop.
I need to make sure that the fabric is as natural as possible because at the end life, it will go to this space, this place here. And so those are the questions that I asked myself. Then a very good example is we do a lot of leggings. So the leggings are one of our best sellers. And I was contemplating on getting a flat stitch, which is the stitch that kind of goes like this. And it's a flat stitch that you see a lot of on big brands' leggings.
The only thing with these stitches is that you can't repair it. It's a very hard way to repair it when it breaks. So this is a decision that I had to make, okay, well, I can't have what everybody else has, but I'll go with my serger because I know I can repair it. And you should have repaired over 800 leggings over the years. And that's like leggings that would have been tossed in the landfill and just discarded. These are leggings that are still in the loop. And so that for me, those are decisions that I make that a lot of customers or people don't even know. It's like, yeah, I guess so.
Glynis Tao
Yeah, totally get what you're saying. It's the flat lock machine. Yeah. So I guess you would do the surge and cover stitch. Yeah. So that's right? That would make it easier to put them at the repairing stage. Do you do all your production and how?
Andréanne Mulaire
Yes, we do. I have just across my door right here, I have the whole manufacturer. So when you come to the shop, you get to see, you know, everything being made. It's almost like the kitchen behind, how do you call that? The open kitchen, open manufacturer. So yeah, I'll take a little video after and send it to you so you can have it.
Glynis Tao
Yes, please. I would love to be able to share that too with our listeners so they get a little bit more behind the scenes look, you know, your manufacturing process, because that's not really a lot, people don't get to see that.
Andréanne Mulaire
Yeah, exactly.
They usually see the end, the product at the end and don't see all the things that happen in between. We know when we're at the restaurant and we see the chef cooking, it's so special. It's like, how is he doing that? how's, well, that's cool. You know? And I started doing little reels with my sewers and asking them what's the hardest part of different products. And it's so cool because I get to hear this too. like, oh, I didn't know that was the hardest part of a blazer. What's the hardest parts of this dress? And then they tell me, you know, it's kind of cool now.
Glynis Tao
So what's next for Anne Mulaire? Are there any upcoming projects, collections or partnerships that you're excited about?
Andréanne Mulaire
Yeah, well, we're going to continue to grow, expand the circular program, the take back and the repair, and then also try to do more recycled textile to textile recycling. But we're also working on opening a boutique in Banff, which is a dream. I'm still working hard on that, but that's going to be something that we can really bring made to Canada, indigenous owned in Banff. So I think customers will, and for all international, that's the way I see international people coming through, you know, to see the thing real, what's real about Canada. I think that would be really nice. Yeah. And then just to continue to do some really nice collaboration with Métis artisans and, but those are the big things.
Glynis Tao
And you are mostly D to C right now, you sell off your website. Do you do wholesale and do you stock anywhere?
Andréanne Mulaire
Yeah, we don't do wholesale, used to in 2008, I had a lot of stores and I had to pivot because of the market crashed. And so that was one of my pivots. And then we went just direct to consumer, which again was easier for us because we didn't have to use as much fabric. I could create smaller runs and answer demands on, you know, when they came versus when I was doing wholesale, it was just a lot right off the bat. If they didn't pay on time. Like it was just a lot of management, but we're looking at maybe opening again, the wholesale department next year and just having selective things. I think it's important to try to get Canadian made t-shirts. I find like, again, I know where they, your t-shirts, have to be a certain price point, but there's something being said about Canadian t-shirts being well-made. I think we've had the experience of wearing crappy t-shirts enough, but good quality t-shirts, we're going to start to want to embrace that and to want to invest in those. Just other pieces that we can offer, that would be good.
Glynis Tao
If you could give advice to a young entrepreneur or fashion designer, what would it be?
Andréanne Mulaire
Thinking about everything I went through, I would say starting with your why. So know what you stand for before you launch anything. I believe it's going to guide you with every decision that you have to make, but also don't wait till everything's perfect to launch. You know, just start something and then learn as you go, but always surround yourself with people that share the same values and the same visions. And yeah, I believe that's how you build something that lasts.
Glynis Tao
And just, I guess, reflecting back over the last 20 years, you know, building the brand, how has it changed you as a person?
Andréanne Mulaire
Yeah. Well, I'm definitely more patient now, but it has opened my eyes to seeing what's happening more outside. You know, in the beginning, you're very inward and you're very focused, but I was able to just open my eyes and seeing more of what is happening around me and letting fate kind of just do its thing.
Glynis Tao
Are you able to sort of step back a little bit more and be able to sort of look at things kind of on a broader view, know, macro level than a very micro level? Because I think when, you know, starting out as a new designer, you got your hands in like everything, right? And having to do everything.
Andréanne Mulaire
Yeah, no, you're right. If I think about, you know, physically, physically in terms of my workload, I think another very important thing is, is finding the right people for the right jobs. The resource, a lot of companies will say resource or HR is always, it's a lot of work, but it's very important and take your time. Sometimes it's okay to take your time for that, but having the right team allows me to step back and just to work more on the company versus in the company.
And that's something I've learned too over the years of you're working so much in the company. If you do that too much, then you start not to see what is happening because you're so focused on one thing. And also just the importance for any entrepreneur is to really take at least, you know, if possible. I try to do that is, is, you know, a me day or a weekend every season, because there's a reason why there's seasons, things change.
And it's also your, a person also change and in order to refresh to, you know, to be the best self for the company. Cause you're there. If you're not your best self, then everybody else is suffering around you. So it's important to be your best self around your company, about your, your employees and to take time for yourself. Cause that's the number one thing is you become a workaholic. It's so easy. Right. So, and balance is, very hard. A lot of people will say, I try to balance it. I've been working on balance for 20 years, but you know, being able to put a few things like hiring the right people and if sometimes it doesn't work out, it doesn't work out. But you keep your goal is always to hire the right people. And when you have strong core values and you hire and you fire with those in mind, you'll get the right people.
Glynis Tao
That's great advice. Where can people find you if they want to get in touch with you?
Well, they can find me on the website and they can send an email there or through our Instagram. We have Facebook, we have LinkedIn, we have a YouTube channel too. yeah, if they just search Anne Mulaire or I guess we could put that in the caption.
Glynis Tao
Yes. We will put all your contact info.
They can come and check out the boutique in Winnipeg. It's a really nice experience. Okay. Yeah. Yeah, sorry. I didn't maybe forgot to say we have the boutique connected to Anne Mulaire we'll I'll take a video for you too. So you can show it to them. It's connected to the manufacturing facility.
Glynis Tao
So you have like a design studio and a factory and then a store. Please send us a video of that or if that is a bit is it on your website?
Andréanne Mulaire
Yeah, you have this location that says the boutique, a little picture of the boutique, but I'll send you a video of the manufacturer and then going through the boutique and
Glynis Tao
Okay, yes. And I will add that to the Reels highlight when I post it, because I'm sure people would want to love to see it. I would love to see it. Next best thing to flying to Winnipeg, right? Thank you. You are so lucky.
Glynis Tao
Thank you for sharing your story with us. It's been so inspiring to hear how you've built a brand rooted in heritage, sustainability and purpose.
Andréanne Mulaire
You are so welcome. Thank you so much for the time, like the space that you let me blab.
Glynis Tao
My pleasure. And for anyone listening, you can learn more about Anne Mulaire and explore the collections at annemulaire.ca, your website. And thank you again for joining us today.