From farm to fashion – this Halifax entrepreneur talks SLOW FASHION

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[00:00] SPEAKER_01: Welcome to Canada's podcast.
[00:05] SPEAKER_01: All right, there we go.
[00:08] SPEAKER_01: Well, ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Canada's podcast,
[00:11] SPEAKER_01: the Atlantic Canada version.
[00:12] SPEAKER_01: Really, really happy to reconnect up with a friend who hung out with me
[00:17] SPEAKER_01: and a few other people at Mount Alesson University many, many years ago.
[00:22] SPEAKER_01: And Laura was always the, I'm going to say that not the odd one,
[00:26] SPEAKER_01: but different one, because everybody else was doing the basics,
[00:29] SPEAKER_01: science, engineering, business, but she chose fine arts as a,
[00:33] SPEAKER_01: as a, for all the right reasons, the passion of hers and so on.
[00:38] SPEAKER_01: And she, she, she, she just didn't stick to fine arts.
[00:41] SPEAKER_01: She was really widespread and hung out with all of the other folks
[00:45] SPEAKER_01: that were doing different, different, different, four-ing degrees.
[00:48] SPEAKER_01: So a little bit about Laura, Laura is a, as I say,
[00:52] SPEAKER_01: she's been to Mount Alesson University, where she studied fire nights.
[00:54] SPEAKER_01: And then went, we went on to the Masters of Architecture,
[00:57] SPEAKER_01: which she got at Tens in Halifax.
[01:00] SPEAKER_01: Spend 15 years doing a bit in the architecture industry.
[01:04] SPEAKER_01: And then went on to teach fine art.
[01:07] SPEAKER_01: Her professional design career, cross film, fine art, and design fields
[01:12] SPEAKER_01: throughout Canada, Bermuda, the United States, Finland.
[01:17] SPEAKER_01: And of course, Switzerland.
[01:19] SPEAKER_01: And we were just talking about a neat project that she potentially
[01:21] SPEAKER_01: would be, be part of and, and so, you know,
[01:25] SPEAKER_01: just a real breadth of projects that continue to be,
[01:28] SPEAKER_01: be attracted to her because it, because of her talent,
[01:32] SPEAKER_01: but also because of her passion.
[01:34] SPEAKER_01: She's an inaugural member of the Nova Scotia Arts and Culture Partnership
[01:36] SPEAKER_01: and awarded a number of RFP artwork installations in Halifax.
[01:41] SPEAKER_01: And when I caught up with her and linked in, she was focusing
[01:45] SPEAKER_01: in on her boutique vintage shop, which is King's Pure Curated Collections.
[01:50] SPEAKER_01: And I want to talk a little bit more about that.
[01:52] SPEAKER_01: So, Laura, welcome to Canada's podcast, the Atlantic Canada version.
[01:56] SPEAKER_01: Are you an Atlantic Canadian born?
[01:59] SPEAKER_03: I am indeed.
[02:00] SPEAKER_03: I was born in Dartmouth and, and, and thrilled to be resident back here.
[02:06] SPEAKER_03: And really just kind of feeling like a,
[02:10] SPEAKER_03: I'm, I'm re, reconnecting and, and really loving it.
[02:14] SPEAKER_03: Yeah, proud, proud to be a Dartmouthian.
[02:17] SPEAKER_01: Yeah, remember, it was a buddy of mine.
[02:19] SPEAKER_01: He, there's always the, the joke, you know,
[02:22] SPEAKER_01: which one's better than Dartmouth or Halifax.
[02:25] SPEAKER_01: And the buddy of mine, he, he talked about, he says,
[02:29] SPEAKER_01: it's costing off a lot to get in, but boys, it's a bargain to get out.
[02:37] SPEAKER_01: So, let's kind of talk about your, your, your entrepreneur career.
[02:41] SPEAKER_01: And what I'm, what I'm interested in is,
[02:44] SPEAKER_01: where was the first, ah, moment that you said, no, I'm going to go at this on my own,
[02:48] SPEAKER_01: because you had a connection with, with other organizations,
[02:51] SPEAKER_01: but obviously there were some point where you said, no, I'm going to,
[02:54] SPEAKER_01: I'm going to go do this on my own.
[02:56] SPEAKER_01: Can you talk a bit about that, because this podcast is all about entrepreneurs?
[03:00] SPEAKER_03: Sure. And it's really interesting.
[03:02] SPEAKER_03: I really don't have many opportunities to reflect on that.
[03:05] SPEAKER_03: And it wasn't until you just asked this question that I was reminded
[03:10] SPEAKER_03: as a 15 year old, I rented a concession stand at Benuc,
[03:17] SPEAKER_03: and ran the canteen.
[03:20] SPEAKER_03: So, trial by fire, I learned very quickly.
[03:23] SPEAKER_03: Nice.
[03:24] SPEAKER_03: What, what, what was required to, you know, hustle, hustle and make a buck on a donut sale
[03:30] SPEAKER_03: and a hot dog sale. Yeah, that was an incredible experience, actually.
[03:35] SPEAKER_03: I mean, I truly, they, I don't know why, but they, they had faith that I could figure it out.
[03:43] SPEAKER_03: And there was no one to turn to, so I had to really learn the ropes.
[03:47] SPEAKER_01: You did it. Well, you know, many kids had paper routes.
[03:49] SPEAKER_01: I had paper route myself, the lemonade stands, it's kind of in it.
[03:53] SPEAKER_01: And they say that McDonald's creates the best employees on the planet,
[03:58] SPEAKER_01: because of what the kids learn during that time period in business.
[04:02] SPEAKER_01: So, absolutely. So, started off with the, with the, with the popsicle stand,
[04:07] SPEAKER_01: with the dog stand and continue on from, from there.
[04:13] SPEAKER_01: So, so, where was the point that did you, did you always do entrepreneurial endeavors
[04:19] SPEAKER_01: during your journey, or was it just at the time, at the end of the 15 years?
[04:23] SPEAKER_03: Yeah, I had a string. I mean, as evidenced by my sort of,
[04:28] SPEAKER_03: I, I seem, I seem to, really, it's not a matter of getting bored,
[04:36] SPEAKER_03: but there always seems to be, it's a little bit of that. What's the young person's fear of missing out?
[04:44] SPEAKER_03: You know, there's, there's, there's this,
[04:46] SPEAKER_03: FOMO, that's it.
[04:49] SPEAKER_03: But the, but the seduction of what the other, the other side is experiencing it.
[04:54] SPEAKER_03: And, or just the intrigue. So, I've always dabbled. So, even when I was practicing architecture,
[05:01] SPEAKER_03: well, I was in the cattowheats with a lovely firm, actually, Atlanta, Canadians,
[05:07] SPEAKER_03: Burdett, Molten, and on the side, I was working at a bar, just to be sort of,
[05:13] SPEAKER_03: the interaction with people, entrepreneurship, the, the, the engagement,
[05:18] SPEAKER_03: and whether it's, you know, serving drinks or selling wares,
[05:23] SPEAKER_03: there's something really fundamental about those transactions.
[05:28] SPEAKER_03: And I, I have to admit, and I, I heard myself say this yesterday,
[05:31] SPEAKER_03: I absolutely hate selling, but I love entrepreneurship.
[05:37] SPEAKER_03: And, well, they didn't understand what I meant. And I,
[05:42] SPEAKER_03: even in describing or explaining it, it was a little bit difficult to, to,
[05:47] SPEAKER_03: it's a very delicate dance between selling and marketing and entrepreneurship.
[05:57] SPEAKER_03: And without creativity in the equation, it wouldn't hold any interest for me whatsoever.
[06:04] SPEAKER_03: So, I really, I need to not just feel productive about the entrepreneurship,
[06:10] SPEAKER_03: but also I want to imbue some degree of creativity.
[06:15] SPEAKER_03: And I mean, that doesn't necessarily mean it.
[06:17] SPEAKER_03: So, a craft or a fine art, but rather just augment it or, or just,
[06:23] SPEAKER_03: just how you present it.
[06:28] SPEAKER_03: I've become extremely cynical, and I don't know if it's because I'm nearly 60
[06:32] SPEAKER_03: or because the world has changed so much.
[06:34] SPEAKER_03: But the idea of marketing and the kind of superficial, fast aisle,
[06:42] SPEAKER_03: deceptions of marketing are so, they've become so sophisticated that product has become inconsequential.
[06:58] SPEAKER_03: And it's all about the branding and the marketing.
[07:01] SPEAKER_02: Yeah, you would like that.
[07:02] SPEAKER_03: Oh, it, it, it offends me, it offends me deeply.
[07:08] SPEAKER_03: And it is contrary to my sustainable ethical moral curated collections.
[07:16] SPEAKER_03: And having, having said that, Rivers, though, I, I, it's, you kind of have to submit to some of those,
[07:24] SPEAKER_03: those rallying cries, or you don't survive.
[07:27] SPEAKER_03: In order to keep the doors open, you have to play that dance with that compromising your integrity,
[07:33] SPEAKER_03: which is a very tough thing to do and it's getting tougher.
[07:37] SPEAKER_01: So how do you do it?
[07:38] SPEAKER_01: Well, first of all, let's just talk about Kingspir, because I'm sure there's some social media components associated with the Kingspir.
[07:43] SPEAKER_01: Can you talk about, can you talk about Kingspir as a business entity?
[07:48] SPEAKER_01: And then let's talk about how you run the operation.
[07:52] SPEAKER_03: Sure.
[07:52] SPEAKER_03: So Kingspir started after my hoarding of vintage clothing became a problem.
[08:00] SPEAKER_03: It's not entirely sure.
[08:02] SPEAKER_03: I don't know what came first, my hoarding or my, my, my business, but I, I working on some period.
[08:09] SPEAKER_03: Film and TV, I was very involved in the acquisition and.
[08:16] SPEAKER_03: If not directly involved, I certainly was interested in, in period wardrobe for, for production and, and, and content.
[08:25] SPEAKER_03: So often I'd be tasked to either create these products or find legitimate vintage product.
[08:37] SPEAKER_03: My, the Kingspir community collection was effectively just a way to merchandise, merchandise, all these goods, because I understood the value of them, the slow fashion versus the,
[08:53] SPEAKER_03: the, what is considered fast fashion or fast production. I, I used to sell collectibles as well as fashion or clothing, but now I'm strictly textiles and footwear.
[09:06] SPEAKER_02: Right.
[09:06] SPEAKER_03: So it's about the art of creating cobbled shoes versus, you know, fast, high profit, Taiwanese sneakers.
[09:20] SPEAKER_03: I'm looking more at the DAX made in New Brunswick turn of the century leather art, artisanal as, as those would say, you know, it's a, it really has to do with how a product is made and what materials were used to make that product and the pride of those who make it so that that whole.
[09:40] SPEAKER_03: On the lope of, of what is that thing that you're buying from that merchant, where did it come from it's in the food industry farm before and all that, you know, all that goodness that where as, as a consumer, it's a conscientiousness of knowing or caring where that hot dog came from.
[10:00] SPEAKER_03: You know, it's it's the same thing with, with fashion and, and both of those industries have a significant impact on our carbon footprint and rivers, you and I were, we're, we're on that sort of edge of the generation that is guilty of, of contributing in large measure.
[10:20] SPEAKER_03: The problems and now it's, it's, it's great that the likes of you and I are saying, hey, listen, maybe we need to really re, re assess this situation and maybe, maybe inform and inspire subsequent generations into something that.
[10:39] SPEAKER_01: You hear a lot about it with regards to food, no doubt about it and clothing and it's just get the same, same element of connectivity with, with the same type of story so.
[10:49] SPEAKER_01: In King's fear is it is an actual shop though if I remember correctly.
[10:54] SPEAKER_03: It is a brick and mortar and i'm so sorry i'm sending a price to my, my colleague who's at the store.
[11:02] SPEAKER_03: So I have a shop right now at historic properties and it, I started off in my barn in the valley and.
[11:13] SPEAKER_03: Move to Port Williams and collaborated with two other vendors and did some pop ups ultimately landed in Dartmouth on Portland street, then hopped over to.
[11:25] SPEAKER_03: Or our Giles street of dance around and it was really I am a very, a lot of guerrilla marketing real real real.
[11:39] SPEAKER_00: From unsolved mysteries to unexplained phenomena from comedy goal to relationship fails Amazon music's got the most ad free top podcasts included with prime download the Amazon music app today.
[11:55] SPEAKER_03: Slim Slim margins and ruthless ruthless like DIY shelving the whole sort of.
[12:04] SPEAKER_03: Real attraction to right well you know yeah and you know some of it was.
[12:12] SPEAKER_03: Limited resources on every front but also an intent I wanted to be true to my message that if i'm going to be selling.
[12:23] SPEAKER_03: Sustainable slow fashion i'm not going to go by you know a full regalia of shiny new.
[12:32] SPEAKER_03: I'm cheaply made rocket rack i'm going to build some so right right yeah you're.
[12:38] SPEAKER_01: And again or you're you're guilty of branding there when you do it by the way that's that's a branding exercise but I understand the authenticity is that is the key to what it is that you're branding and you can't you can't get away from an emotional attachment to what it is that you're doing and that's what.
[12:58] SPEAKER_01: Probably one of your one of your reasons you are moving forward with the business because you people feel an emotional attachment to what it is that you're that you're bringing to the market.
[13:08] SPEAKER_03: No question no question it really.
[13:11] SPEAKER_03: The most fulfilling part for me is when a young person comes in and they're looking at a product and.
[13:18] SPEAKER_03: They ask a question and I won't shut up about you know the the the the the the the the significant history of a you know a pair trousers they didn't want to know all that.
[13:30] SPEAKER_03: But then actually they do want to know all that that's it's so thrilling when they like really and then they start asking more questions and then I offer more substance and it's like you know right down to.
[13:43] SPEAKER_03: You know the the fiber content is critical where it is so come from where I mean how what is ray on what is that a natural fiber all all these things that really ultimately matter we all wear clothes no one no one escapes the need to wear something on their bodies because if for no other reason to protect us from the climate whether whether it's not to be about humility but you know.
[14:08] SPEAKER_01: For all that's what for no other reason I love that so King spear that it's a who who was who are you talking you talking about a young person come in who are the type of people that that you were tracking and I mean I would presume you're getting a lot of the cruise industry that comes in.
[14:26] SPEAKER_03: But it just here and there but but who are you tracking besides them well the cruise industries a good one to to site because one would think I'm on the waterfront historic properties.
[14:38] SPEAKER_03: Unless it has Halifax and Nova Scotia branded on it they're not interested so yeah I've got a lot of dead stock from Windsor where which of course no longer exists so dead stock would just be product that was manufactured never sold and held in a warehouse so I bought a bunch of that and I'm going to imprint it with Nova Scotia.
[15:00] SPEAKER_03: I'm catering to that this is where I was saying that I have to kind of read the room and and accept except at the clientele that's what they I'm not why sit on it I can't I can't bark about how great it is if it's going to sit there and and be ill consumed you know it's right on I need to I need to really sort of create a way to feed that that demand so the best way to do that is to be able to do that.
[15:30] SPEAKER_03: But if the international paddling championships this past week I had a booth there over a little kiosk and I had a hundred of these vintage windbreakers so I emblazoned them with canoe 22 and sold sold significant number and it was just as a consequence of adding these two things together as you know the brand and the product so it it it didn't I didn't feel like I was.
[16:00] SPEAKER_03: I was copying out or or or selling out and they love the jackets.
[16:07] SPEAKER_03: So yeah it really as you know particularly with pandemic agility is absolutely critical and it really it that I regard as part of kind of fulfilling my creativity is the agility of responding to the.
[16:32] SPEAKER_01: Yeah well there's such a thing you've heard the word pivot before and people said I hate that word pivot and I'm like yeah well the national basketball association seems to use it just fine so I think we should just be pretty well happy that it's that it's a word we understand we're going to stick with it so.
[16:48] SPEAKER_03: Yeah no it pivot is the most appropriate term and yeah we're tired of it because it means we've had to really sort of shift abandoned our former business plans and.
[16:59] SPEAKER_03: And and and reinvent ourselves and yeah that means 180 degrees or 270 degrees whatever it is you really have to pivot you have to look at the other direction.
[17:11] SPEAKER_01: You do you do yeah I'm going through that now with with my business in the culinary world that we we pivoted out of real life events and to virtual and now of course it's the pandemic I'll say slowing down.
[17:27] SPEAKER_01: Yeah the virtual isn't as attractive anymore so I've had to look at other ways in which I can do that so so I hear you I hear you loud and clear so what about your.
[17:37] SPEAKER_01: Well around the world talked about that that's pretty that's pretty intriguing for me to switch or land what's that all about.
[17:46] SPEAKER_03: So when I was studying architecture I became really quite obsessed with particular architect Avarolto and alliel Sivan and what who both of whom are finished so I sent an application to the small firm in
[18:03] SPEAKER_03: De Limente in Northern Finland company and told them that I was going to be in Finland in a few months and wondered if I could possibly come in for an interview and they you know would hire an intern I had no set plans but I really didn't want to say yeah can I come halfway across the world for an interview so I had to sort of give them a convincing story.
[18:28] SPEAKER_03: And they wrote back and said yeah you know sure and I had to do a small work term it was a co-op program at funds.
[18:37] SPEAKER_03: So I approached Dr. Savage that would be Mike's father he was mayor of Dartmouth and I said I have an interview with him.
[18:57] SPEAKER_03: I was a great entrepreneur for an intern architecture job and it looks pretty promising is there any kind of grant system or consulting that I that I could possibly investigate while in Finland to help get you know flight over there.
[19:14] SPEAKER_03: And he said well tell you what what why don't you investigate snow removal in Helsinki I said done and so he gave me a hundred bucks or something from the city of Dartmouth slush fund of you know advancing students and it was all official but you know it was it was contributed to my my my adventure went to hamming homes I don't know if you've ever heard of them they were a prefabricated home outfit in Halifax I guess.
[19:44] SPEAKER_03: Okay and I this Tilementee oh who was an element house so they were prefabricating buildings for for Russia and other finish northern fit remote finish areas so I went to hamming homes I said listen I'm you know student I'm going over here I'm trying to get together scratch for a ticket is there anything I can research for you with with with.
[20:14] SPEAKER_03: LVL's is laminated been year lumber and it was not available in Canada the time but it was being fabricated in Finland.
[20:21] SPEAKER_03: Can I can I investigate some of this stuff for hamming homes and they said absolutely so I I called together a one way ticket landed with my portfolio got the job did the research brought back a letter to Dr. Savage that from I went to Department of Planning and interviewed these guys and.
[20:40] SPEAKER_03: So fun I well I kid you not he the letter actually said you know.
[20:46] SPEAKER_03: Of course they use standard plows but for sidewalks use a shovel so John frame frame the letter and and.
[20:55] SPEAKER_03: Having started importing these LVL's and started doing.
[21:00] SPEAKER_03: It was great because it satisfied all of us and yeah kind of got me so yeah all of my sort of travels and work were real sort of grassroots raw from the ground up sort of experiences which is why I think I'm so equipped to pivot.
[21:22] SPEAKER_03: You know I every experience was starting from the ground and in film and and architecture I built houses with Brian McKay lines teams and so I know how to.
[21:37] SPEAKER_03: I know how things get put together so I love it's like the hot dog panting experience learning from the trenches and you know there's no better way to learn.
[21:50] SPEAKER_01: Well you brought you brought circle full circle on the beginnings of it and then ended with the hot dogs what what's next for your career what are you good.
[22:03] SPEAKER_03: Well you're obviously yeah and I am the you were talking about the culinary world going virtual and over the course of the last years I built out a 1200 inventory online presence that is just standing.
[22:20] SPEAKER_03: I think still doing nothing as you say it's it's it's that that pivot has now sort of become obsolete so it's turning turning once again and I'm just really thrilled to be getting to a position where the I have hired I've got three people now.
[22:38] SPEAKER_03: And it's holding its own which is remarkable yeah I'm really I'm not able to say it's you know gaining a whole lot of profit but I'm I'm flying people that are who appear to be enjoying it immensely I love them they're learning I'm learning from them they're they're taking on a lot of the social marketing and we're you know moving together.
[23:07] SPEAKER_03: I'm really excited to see the other ahead on that and yeah it's it's they're young they're they're they're part of the dynamic that is interested in in ethical shopping and all those things that you know yeah.
[23:20] SPEAKER_03: Cool so it's yeah no it's I'm feeling really kind of I don't have any ambitions of being some millionaire at the age of.
[23:32] SPEAKER_03: Hey listen I'm nearly six. The retirement is not part of my my my future I think so.
[23:39] SPEAKER_03: Oh man yeah but that's good.
[23:43] SPEAKER_01: It is good yeah it is good well Laura this has been a great conversation you taking us to Finland with with the stop along the way with it.
[23:59] SPEAKER_01: So at King's pure with the stop along the way of the school all wrapped up in an entrepreneurial journey and you know I what what I what I love about this conversation amongst many things we're great to catch up with you again is the sense of.
[24:16] SPEAKER_01: Of calm you've got what's regarcy or journey and then after a while you just learned to go with the punches and figure it out there's going to work out.
[24:25] SPEAKER_03: You know what rivers are completely and it's I was talking to a friend I ran into architect friend who was out in the west coast now and she was home for the summer and we were remarking you know the the piss and vinegar you have as a kid and the stresses you endure as an adult and as a parent and as a this and that and it's like you know what.
[24:48] SPEAKER_03: Spill the milk like just get over it and get out with it you know I look so many more important things and I just I think the pandemic in part helped restore that sense of what's important is to get through this help whoever you can help get on with it and don't.
[25:09] SPEAKER_01: We just can't afford to get into a frenzy and and and and and and absorb that stress you got to bloody literally go smell the freaking roses man yeah right on I love it I love it I love it yeah I was going to say a part of my my ending is what would you recommend to somebody lean it go smell the roses I think is it's really what you're saying there yeah I.
[25:35] SPEAKER_01: I love the cliches all apply it's like do what makes you feel good like it with respect to careers and all that don't suffer fools you know yeah cool stuff cool stuff well Laura's been great taking this journey with you I just going to ask you to hold on a bit when I want to stop the recording button so that we should get all up to the other but thank you so much this is the Laura McNat Laura and I have known each other for decades not that many.
[26:04] SPEAKER_01: But still decades and it's been great to reconnect back with you Laura and we'll look forward to to watching what's the next thing you're going to do and she she may be working on a film project that has an interesting twist to it but I'll let you just say how do people find you that's I guess the next thing obviously on LinkedIn Laura McNat what about your.
[26:28] SPEAKER_01: What's the website ages for that Kingspear dot com yeah gets me to all the sort of essential links love it yeah pretty easy to find pretty easy yeah you work you work LinkedIn you responded and now Kingspear so thanks very much Laura's been great hanging with you again you took really great to see you thanks Rivers.