Moose Knuckles is delving deeper into the luxury market with the debut of its new subbrand.
The Canadian luxury outerwear brand on Tuesday launched Moose Lab, a new subbrand described as a “platform for creative collaborations.” Moose Lab’s debut collection, a 12-piece capsule of utilitarian-style outerwear, is designed by the brand’s global artistic director Carlos Nazario, who was appointed to the position in March 2023.
“Moose Knuckles has built a foundation and a design aesthetic that’s super strong,” Nazario said. “When I came on as artistic director, I just thought there was a space for us to do something that felt a little bit more elevated in terms of its execution and I thought that that needed to sit alone. The price point obviously is a little bit higher, so I think the execution feels a little bit slicker. I thought it was important for us to have a very strong fashion point of view and a space to explore that.”
Moose Lab’s debut collection blends the Moose Knuckles utilitarian and functional heritage with ‘90s fashion trends. There’s an emphasis on materials like leather, Mongolian wool, down and shearling and the collection is meant to reflect a merging of functionality with contemporary fashion, according to Nazario.
A style from Moose Lab’s debut collection.
Vito Fernicola
Nazario highlighted key styles as a white shearling coat and a light pink aviator style jacket. The collection offers outerwear and accessories ranging in price from $345 to $3,990.
“I really thought about how I like to present myself in the winter and how that aligned with Moose Knuckles’ values and design aesthetic,” Nazario said about the design process. “I’m from New York and similar to Montreal, you do tend to spend a lot of time outside in your coat in the wintertime — for the most part — it’s what people see. You don’t really see what’s happening underneath, so the coat needs to do a lot of the talking. For me it’s all about statement pieces — like really beautiful things that felt sophisticated, but still had a toughness and could withstand the elements while feeling a bit glamorous. I’m in a glamorous mood and I think we all are after too many seasons of quiet luxury.”
Moose Lab will release one fall collection each year. Every year, Moose Knuckles will bring in a new creative to helm the collection. The company explained it wanted to launch Moose Lab to bring a high-fashion angle to the brand’s utilitarian heritage.
A style from Moose Lab’s debut collection.
Vito Fernicola
The new subbrand aligns with Moose Knuckles’ strategy of going further into luxury fashion, following its recent collaborations with designer brands like Luar and Telfar.
“With Moose Lab, we wanted to create a platform that allows designers and creatives to explore their own vision while integrating Moose Knuckles’ rich heritage of craftsmanship and functionality,” Moose Knuckles said in a statement. “It’s a space for collaboration and experimentation — where innovation meets tradition. By working with creatives such as Carlos, we’re able to push the boundaries of what outerwear can be, fusing their vision with our legacy of high-performance luxury outerwear. Moose Lab represents the intersection of creativity and craftsmanship, and we’re excited to see where this journey takes us.”
Moose Knuckles is celebrating its first Moose Lab collection with a campaign fronted by model Paloma Elsesser and photographed by Vito Fernicola.