Kristell Geffroy wanted to make her son proud. She had been working in the textiles industry for ten years, but the lower quality of fabric used, and the company’s dwindling ethical production process left her dissatisfied. She wanted autonomy over her designs.
It was a family trip around the Maritimes eight years ago that opened her eyes to the possibility of creating her brand. If local artisans and craftspeople could make their products, then maybe she could too.
SWENN started as an online store five years ago, when Kristell was working from her home in Montreal. But she was running out of space for all her boxes of product, and she was missing living near the water.
Originally from a seaside town in France, Kristell used her nautical background to create the brand’s style. Moving to Charlottetown was the perfect fit for her and her business.
Kristell’s unisex clothing draws from the style of traditional fishermen’s sweaters; timeless and durable. She added her flair to the wool sweaters by choosing lighter colours to create classy and fun everyday wear. The most important factor in her designs was the material had to be locally sourced, organic, recycled, or made from natural fibers.
Since opening the store in Confederation Court Mall, Kristell has included local designers’ jewellery and stationery in her merchandise. She likes to promote local makers’ products in-store and wants to make it easier for shoppers to buy locally.
“It’s possible to consume differently and I want to bring that to the people,” she said.
Kristell works with Canadian artists to design the graphic t-shirts she has in her store. Recently, she released a new and popular print – the PEI surfing fox – sure to be a staple in any Islanders closet.
Customers love that her products are made locally, and Kristell likes to hear their feedback.
“They have fun coming here. Just to make them happy makes me happy,” she said.
And one item customers have been asking for lately – socks! We’ll have to wait a little while for that product to become available. In the meantime, Kristell hopes to collaborate with more local designers and bring new clothing to the store.