Like stubby beer bottles and Loverboy, some things from Canada in the 1970s and ’80s never lose their cool (OK, maybe Loverboy).
Two Canadian fashion industry vets are betting that the appetite for Canadiana includes sportswear.
Toronto-based designer Adrian Aitcheson and Arcade Agency creative director Pablo Mozo have relaunched North Star, a brand originally owned by Bata Corporation.
The duo most recently worked on the Team Canada collection for the Vancouver Winter Olympics.
“North Star always took me back to my childhood,” said Mozo, in a statement. “It was THE brand in school. We have such fond memories of the sneakers, so we wanted to make sure this iconic brand wasn’t forgotten about. We want to create the same experiences for this generation–it’s a part of our Canadian heritage.”
Aitcheson has previously designed Olympics collections for Roots and outerwear for Canada Goose, and founded the streetwear label Too Black Guys. Mozo has done brand work for companies like Nike, Bluenotes and 55DSL.
The brand’s latest lookbook is online, and The Canada Day 2010 collection includes vintage sneaker models The Jogger and The Bullet, as well as casual athletic wear like hoodies, windbreakers, tank tops, graphic tees, sweatpants and leggings. While the sneakers look like Adidas Originals Lite, the apparel should certainly raise some style-savvy eyebrows.
“The inspiration this season was summer camp,” said Aitcheson, in a statement. “It’s an ode to our memories of campfires, summer hijinx, camp misfits, and the Canadian athletic spirit.”
Considering HBC’s Olympic success with Canadian fashion, and that vintage sportswear is standard issue of the universal hipster uniform, Aitcheson and Mozo have picked a good time to bring back a retro brand. If K-Way can make a comeback, why not North Star?
The relaunched brand’s goods will be available at the Hudson’s Bay Company as well as select boutiques across Canada.
