artists
Artists

Camp Brand Goods

It was way back in 2011 when Camp Brand Goods first launched at Market Collective. Back then, we were in Kensington and Camp was a small home-based operation.

 

Their super soft, ultra comfortable casual wear captures the essence of a Western Canadian outdoorsy lifestyle. The classic cuts of their collection are timeless and you just know you’re going have a good time when you’re in a cozy and comfy Camp sweater.

 

What a pleasure it’s been getting to know Connor and Leslie over the years, and watching them grow into the now hugely recognizable Canadian brand. With a loyal following of over 165 000 followers on Instagram and their own brick and mortar location, The Livery Shop, we wanted to take a moment to reflect with the husband and wife team on the humble beginnings of this amazing success story.

 

 

What piece of advice would you have given yourselves, 6 years ago?

 

Don’t be scared to ask questions and seek advice. Reaching out to other business owners can potentially save you a lot of time and steps when you’re trying to grow your business.

 

What has been the best part of owning and running your own business?

 

Lately, we’ve really focused on enjoying the process. I know this sounds cheesy but it’s the only way to stay sane. Being an entrepreneur you wear so many different hats and the part you actually love doing will probably only take up a fraction of your time. Sometimes that can be really disheartening but being able to take a step back and see that you are growing something cool can help motivate you to enjoy other aspects of your business. One that same note, don’t be afraid to hire someone or ask for help in areas you are having a hard time with.

 

 

How did you learn to divvy up the roles between the two of you?

 

This is actually something we are still working on. We are able to be honest and look at each other's strengths and weaknesses and divvy up our tasks based on that. The key is communication and having trust in your partner that they know what they are doing.



 

How did being at Market Collective in those early days help you?

 

Market Collective really was our first main sales channel. It was an amazing place to interact directly with consumers and figure out how to best sell our products and fine tune the Camp story. The artist and maker community at Market Collective is second to none.



 

What is your best memory at MC?

 

Our favourite part of MC has definitely been the relationships we’ve built there.  We’ve met so many inspiring and fun people there with whom we have a lot in common.  In fact, we met two of our best friends, Dorian & Kofi (CoutuKitsch) at MC.  We’ve since gone on to open The Livery Shop with them!




What do you see for the future of Camp Brand Goods?

 

We have so many good things planned! We have been working on our own manufacturing program using some really cool fabrics we are excited to unveil soon!

 

 

 

 

Photos by Diane + Mike Photography