Archive for August, 2010
A Plethora of Outdoor Clothing
Aug 26th
Years ago, we were told by our mothers to wrap up warm when we were going out the door. That usually meant putting a large restrictive coat on top of what you were wearing. Today, mothers and wives all around the country tell their loved ones to put another layer on. Outdoor clothing has evolved and warmth is no longer a synonym for restrictive.
We can now scale mountains in gear that looks like we just jumped off a cycle, more dismount that Mount Everest. With advances in technology comes increased practicality. We can now go further because we have to carry less. The new technologies that we enjoy have enabled average people to scale places like Mount Kilimanjaro for charity. Twenty years ago they would have been locked away for their own safety.
It’s all good news for the walker though as quality outdoor clothing becomes high street fashion. Now it’s not unusual to see big brand names traditionally from outdoor pursuits around every corner. You can wear a lightweight jacket on a trek on the weekend and you wouldn’t look out of place on the train to work the following Monday.
Smart and Stylish Merrell Shoes
Aug 25th
It’s not hard to understand why someone could walk past a shoe store and mistake it for an outward bound centre. Years ago we had the high top basketball boots, before that the Doctor Martins and who knows what came before those. What has emerged as the popular shoe of choice among shoppers of today is the hiking boot or shoe. At the forefront of fashionable hiking shoes you will find household name Merrell. Merrell shoes are one brand that has ridden a wave of the rugged chic trend.
The thing that sets Merrell shoes apart from the rest of the crowd is the size of their range. They literally have more on offer than any self respecting footballer or his wife could fit in their closet. They produce footwear for almost any outdoor activity you could possibly think of.
With all the talk of how good looking the shoes are it could be easy to make the mistake of thinking that Merrel have bypassed practicality for style. Nothing would be further from the truth. The facts are that Merrell shoes are so full of technology they have to constantly work to stop competitors using their technology. So when choosing footwear for town or country, you won’t go far wrong with Merrell shoes.
Peter J. Nygard: The Man Behind Nygard International
Aug 23rd
Peter J. Nygard is a fashion designer and the chairman of Nygard International, Canada’s premier women’s wear company. Born in 1943 to Finnish-Swedish parents Eeli and Hilkka Nygard, Peter moved to the city of Deloraine with his parents at a very early age. Shortly after, the family moved to Winnipeg, the city where Peter Nygard would later start his business. He graduated from University of North Dakota where he was the president of the business fraternity Delta, Sigma, Pi. He started as a minor shareholder of a wash-and-wear women’s wear company and earned full ownership naming it “Nygard International” after himself. Today the firm has 200 retail shops all over Canada and around 2000 soft shops in North America. He ranked 70th in a list of Richest Canadians published by Canadian Business Magazine in 2009.
The Nygard clothing line consists of a variety of segments. ALIA is one of the sections with a color-based differentiation focusing on pants. TanJay is another segment targeting a slightly different age group. Nygard Moderate includes five different national brands called Allison Daley, Investments, Westbound, Kim Rogers and Caroll Reed. The Nygard Fashion Brands consist of Peter Nygard, Bianca Nygard and NYGARD Collection. This acts as a balance among the different product lines and designs superior material for the main target market of women over 25 years of age. The Peter Nygard brand is famous for its flawless finish and great quality fabric along with product differentiation based on occupations, physical attributes etc. Another competitive advantage Peter Nygard has over his rivals is the superior understanding of technology and its implementation which has seen Nygard International incorporate product tracking methods studied even by companies like Federal Express. A new wing called Nygard 3PL has been introduced to facilitate operation management duties for other fashion houses. Peter Nygard was the author of the paper supporting the initiation of free trade which went in favor of NAFTA and benefited the Canadian fashion industry greatly.
Peter Nygard is an inspired leader who believes in leading by examples. He motivates his personnel to surpass their best and does his own work with a very hands-on approach. His personal life is very flamboyant with regular headlines suggesting affiliations with Hollywood celebrities and models. He constructed the Mayan-themed 150,000 square feet resort in the Bahamas where all the recreational amenities are available. Peter Nygard has started the renovation work of Winnipeg Exchange District which would cost an estimated $90 million. He is a donor for Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation and a supporter of amateur sports in the Bahamas. For his endeavors, Peter Nygard has received countless awards including the prestigious Commemorative Medal Award, AIM All Star Award and Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee medal.