Local, sustainable, ‘unique and strong’ Winnipeg-based Anne Mulaire clothing company passes two decades in culture, comfort Made in Manitoba
By: Aaron Epp Posted: 8:31 PM CDT Thursday, Apr. 3, 2025

Like many Winnipeggers before her, there was a time when Andréanne (Anne) Mulaire Dandeneau thought she had to live in a bigger city to run a business.

After studying fashion design at LaSalle College in Montreal, Dandeneau moved to Toronto with the intention of starting a clothing line. A conversation with a veteran of Manitoba’s garment manufacturing industry inspired her to change course.

Come back home, they advised her. You can save money by living with your parents while you get your business off the ground and you’ll have the support of your home community.

“That was the best advice anyone has ever given me,” Dandeneau says.

In February 2005, Dandeneau launched Voilà by Andréanne in her parents’ basement. (The company rebranded to Anne Mulaire in 2019.)

Today, Dandeneau’s business is known for producing beautifully crafted, sustainable fashion inspired by her Anishinaabe/French Métis heritage.

The clothes are designed to be elegant and timeless and they’re meant to feel as good as they look. They’re also made with a circular economy in mind — an economic model, rooted in Indigenous principles, designed to minimize waste and make the most of resources.

“Every customer that buys our clothing, they buy into the impact that Anne Mulaire is trying to create,” Dandeneau says.

The clothing is manufactured at 303-421 Mulvey Ave. in the Riverview neighbourhood. The 3,000-square-foot space overlooks the Red River and includes a boutique that’s open Tuesday through Saturday. Dandeneau employs 10 people.

The 44-year-old enjoys many aspects of her work.

“I would definitely say I love the creative part — I love, love, love that,” she says. “And making people smile. I love when we get customers writing in or coming in and saying how (the clothes make) them feel. I love creating an impact. The moment that I don’t, I won’t be here. And we have a great team.”

There was a time, however, when all Dandeneau wanted to do was dance.

At 14, she belonged to a few contemporary dance groups. Many of the costumes were uncomfortable and meant to be discarded after one performance, so Dandeneau started designing her own outfits using natural fibres. Soon her fellow dancers were asking if she could make clothing for them, too.

Someone advised her if she pursued dance after high school, the full-time physical demands would likely mean she would have to switch careers before she was 30. So, Dandeneau switched her focus to making clothes.

“I love dance, but I also love to create things,” she says, recalling how she and her three siblings barely watched TV when they were young; instead, their parents encouraged them to make crafts.

“We were always just in project mode and every summer in entrepreneur mode. I would be selling (homemade) bead necklaces on the street, even if I only had one customer — my mom.”

During college, Dandeneau returned to Manitoba each summer and set up a booth at the Winnipeg Fringe Theatre Festival to sell the clothes she’d made as part of her coursework.

Those experiences gave her a taste of entrepreneurship and also got her thinking about what her customers wanted. When she went back to school and was instructed to create projects with a specific demographic in mind, she could visualize the people at her booth and what they were looking for in clothing.

As she was starting her business, Dandeneau also began designing costumes for NAfro Dance Productions. Working with the African contemporary dance group for 10 years reinforced for Dandeneau the importance of creating culturally sensitive clothing that people can move in.

“That’s probably why all my clothing is so comfortable,” she says. “If I can’t sit in it or bike in it or do anything else, it’s a strict no. Uncomfortable stuff doesn’t make it to the rack.”

Anne Mulaire is the first Indigenous-owned apparel manufacturer in Canada to become a certified B Corp — for-profit businesses that work to solve social and environmental problems.

Garments are made with quality, longevity and recyclability in mind. And the company has programs that encourage customers to repair, resell and up-cycle or recycle their clothing.

Anne Mulaire’s commitment to energy efficient practices has led to a 30 per cent reduction in its carbon footprint. The company uses renewable energy sources in its facilities and optimizes logistics to minimize transportation emissions. Along the way, it has cut textile waste by 15,000 pounds and reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 64 per cent.

The brand received the Sustainable Business Award at the Red River Métis Business Excellence Awards in May 2024, and was also nominated for a sustainability award at the 2024 Canadian Arts and Fashion Awards.

Dandeneau attributes her interest in sustainability to her Métis heritage.

“Taking care of the planet — that’s what I’ve brought with me from the beginning,” she says. “We were raised to take what we needed and not more.”

In 2021, the company launched inclusive sizes, from extra-small to 6X, for all its clothing lines. While preparing for the launch, Dandeneau consulted 100 women across Canada.

“I’ve always believed that sustainability should include everybody,” she says.

Dandeneau’s sustainability efforts put Anne Mulaire ahead of the curve in the fashion world, according to Jaclyn Patterson, a Toronto-based wardrobe stylist who has worked with hundreds of clients worldwide.

“Something that’s not talked about enough is the circular economy — thinking about how production models affect the beginning and end of life of garments,” Patterson says. “I think it’s inspiring that Anne Mulaire talks about that.”

Patterson discovered the brand a year or two ago, while looking for clothes for a client who wanted comfortable pieces “with a little more intrigue, as well.” She was struck by the unique touches in the brand’s clothing, like embroidery and the occasional asymmetrical neckline.

“Everything is very versatile and timeless but has elements of unique details that make the garments more interesting,” Patterson says.

February marked Anne Mulaire’s 20th anniversary — a surreal milestone, according to Dandeneau.

“It’s crazy when you do look back,” she says. “But I definitely feel like I’m still a student and I’m still learning.”

By Anne Mulaire’s 25th anniversary, she hopes to have a storefront in Banff, Alta., where tourists from around the world can purchase clothing made in Winnipeg and learn about the company’s French Métis roots.

Dandeneau hopes her story shows aspiring Manitoba entrepreneurs they can stick to their values and succeed in the keystone province.

“It can be done,” she says. “You can (stay) local, if you have something unique and strong.”

aaron.epp@freepress.mb.ca