Winnipeg, Métis-run clothing shop leaps into American market

A local, Métis-run clothing company in Winnipeg is getting ready to make the leap into the American market.

The company, Voila, started almost 12 years ago when founder and head designer Andréanne Dandeneau found herself at a crossroads.

"I used to be a contemporary dancer and I guess with dancing, it just allowed me to start looking at the fabric part; the movements and textures," she said.

To help her dance troupes save money, Dandeneau started designing and creating the costumes for their shows. 

"And because [of] different injuries, I just thought that I would have a longer life doing something [like fashion design]," she said, noting the move to creating clothing wasn't a difficult one for her to make.

"My dad is an artist. So, we've always been a very creative family; very in touch with our roots, and so when I was a kid I would do a lot of crafts and experience the creative process."

But it wasn't just her family's creative flair that Dandeneau brought to her clothing. She also brought her Métis heritage.

"My style of clothing is inspired French flair, and then we embellish it with Aboriginal art. So, it kind of gives that fusion of European and Aboriginal together."

Her family's connection to the environment also plays a big part in her creations.

"I was raised never taking more than you need, and being close to the earth, and just being aware of what's happening … I thought, 'Okay how can I do this keeping in mind our surroundings and environment?'"

With this philosophy in mind, Dandeneau designs her creations using fair-trade, organic bamboo cotton yarn woven into fabric in Toronto and all of her clothes are sewn in Winnipeg.

"So it becomes a very vertical Canadian company," she said.

Twelve years later with nearly 80 Canadian shows under her belt and a global reach online, Dandeneau is expanding to a location in Chicago. She isn't worried about entering a market of more than 300 million people, she said.

"I've done for 12 years baby steps. So, I'm comfortable with this," Dandeneau said.

She described Chicago as a way to test the waters before her clothes are sold outside of North America — a long-time goal.

"Hopefully one day we'll be in Europe," she said.