Made in Quebec!
Since the beginning of June Swimwear in 2009, its always been important for the founder, Julie Morin-Dumais, that the whole process of creating the swimsuits is done entirely in Quebec. In their workspace located in Montreal, Julie is seated next to her sewing machine and create new styles especially adapted for watersport lovers. The graphic designer browses on her computer to find inspiration in the latest fashion trends and draws patterns for the upcoming collections. The creation of a June Swimwear collection is the hard work of a local team!
An interview with the head designer and founder of the brand, Julie M-D, who wants to keep her production in Quebec for a long time …
June Swimwear: Where does your desire to create your swimsuit brand and produce locally come from?
Julie M-D: My passion for sewing comes from my grandmother. At seventeen, I decided to follow my heart and travel to the Rockies and that was it! I discovered my adventurous side which lead me on to start new projects. After finishing some college programs in art and science, I decided to pack my bags for a solo trip and explore the land down under. It’s during my stay in Australia that I discovered my passion for the ocean through surfing. Back in Montreal, not long passed when I decided to enroll in design school. I was determined to create a bathing suit which combines my girly side and sporty needs. My unconditional love for surf culture lead me to create a polyvalent bikini which gives women comfort and style when practicing their favorite sports!
The choice to produce in Quebec was made naturally. I was already working with a local manufacturer for a couple of years for my work. I had a good relationship with them and they showed me many sewing techniques that I still used often! I think it’s the fact that I knew the people behind swimsuits added a human touch to my products.
June Swimwear: Could you tell us a little more about the conception process made in Quebec?
Julie: Like I said earlier, the whole conception process is entirely made in Quebec. Our graphic designer draw the patterns and sends them to different supplier around the world to test the patterns on the material. Afterwards, we select, as a team, our favorite prints for the upcoming collections. I use the patterns as an inspiration to create new styles and start making the samples, which means sewing by hand each style for our sales rep to present our upcoming collections to the buyers. The communication management is also made directly from our workspace in Montreal. After the orders are received, we can send the quantities to our manufacture to start the production.
June Swimwear: What are the values which guide your work?
Julie: The values which guide us on a daily basis is boldness, initiative and the team work.
June Swimwear: How has you company evolved?
Julie: From 2009 until today, we went from 1 to 75 retailers across Canada and some of them are in a foreign country. We launched our online store in 2014 give us the opportunity to reach worldwide customers. From my first bikinis sews on my coffee table to what’s June today, we can say that we definitely evolved!
June Swimwear: What are you most proud of about your company?
Julie: It's the fact that the whole conception is made in Quebec. From the patterns and the design until the local production.
June Swimwear: Finally, what’s your ambition for the future?
Julie: We’ll like to increase the number of retailers in the Canadian west and open new account in the United States.
Team June