Wuxly, a cruelty-free and vegan outerwear brand based in Canada has been protecting people from harsh winters with its parkas since 2015. Now, it can be found in the city of Ottawa.
The brand was created by former pro-football player, James Yurichuk, who at the time, moved from the west coast to join the Toronto Argonauts. In his search for the perfect parka, James could not find anything that was animal-free.
Thus began the Wuxly Movement with Yurichuk and his best friend, tailor Anthony Debartolo. The brand was conceived with a commitment to reshore Canadian manufacturing and create warmth through sustainably made outerwear.
Wuxly’s Vegan Outerwear Make It To Ottawa
Having started with their brick-and-mortar shop in their home base of Toronto, Wuxly has recently expanded to set up a pop-up shop in Ottawa. According to Yurichuk, the city has demonstrated its interest in the brand through online sales and social media.
“The Ottawa community clearly demonstrates a strong interest in sustainable products, and the Canadian-made feature has proven to be a huge attraction.” In the capital, shoppers can discover Wuxly’s signature outerwear as well as layering pieces such as fleece and accessories.
Wuxly’s new store can be found at 884 Queen St. W., Toronto; 436 Richmond Rd., Ottawa.
New Heights In Ethical Local Production
In January, Wuxly announced it had achieved B Corp Certification, a global designation that holds the brand to strict standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency.
For Yurichuk, it’s aligned with his Canadian upbringing in the great outdoors and his lifelong love for animals and respect for the environment. “Future-forward thinking drives our pursuits,” he says.
In addition to being vegan and cruelty-free, Wuxly is deeply committed to local production. It has been the driving force behind Wuxly since its beginning days.
“The fashion industry is notorious for overseas manufacturing,” says Yurichuk. “Most of our vegan competitors hone in on the coat being animal-free, but not where it was made,” adds Eng, “companies say they’re ethical but we know the fashion industry hides so much. When we can drive to our manufacturer, it makes it easy to monitor them.” Wuxly prioritizes reshore, rather than offshore, manufacturing so they can proudly assure clients, “A Canadian person made a Canadian coat for Canadians,” says Eng.
Community Building
Wuxly also has its very own innovative Live Warm Trade Up Program where prospective customers can trade in their down-filled or fur-trimmed parka for a $100 credit. The collected used coats are donated to Wuxly’s local partners who then distribute them to the homeless.
In the past, Wuxly has launched ‘Warm Week’ in lieu of Black Friday and redirected proceeds from sales to the Stop Community Food Shelter. Additionally, on November 12th, the day after Canadian Remembrance Day, the brand donated 100% of sales to the Poppy Fund in support of Canadian Veterans.
“Community is at the forefront of Wuxly, they are the reason we exist,” says Yurichuk. “We try to show a small token of appreciation by passing it forward to community initiatives.”
