Stepping foot at Swell Fellow in Old Montreal is like a kid in a candy store. Erik Fürer's designs are so original and beautiful that the thought of buying just one is as heartbreaking as choosing your favorite child ...

SAMUEL LAROCHELLE SPECIAL COLLABORATION

PORTABLE WORKS OF ART

Handmade in Quebec, the models are full of special features: tie in two sections, the lower one of which is interchangeable; magnet for adding metallic objects; zipper offering a conventional look (closed) or revealing its style (open); unusual colors and prints; use of wood, rope and small items. "We allow men to finally be represented by what they wear! It’s very hard to find anywhere else on the market, ”explains the designer, whose ideas seem to have no limits. "What I have created so far is only a tiny percentage of what I have in mind! "

CHILD FASHIONISTA

A family business with a communications sister, a mum in a shop and an accountancy dad, Swell Fellow is built on the creative genius of Erik Fürer. The 33-year-old designer has been passionate about fashion since his childhood. “I had 58 pairs of shoes and a big walk-in closet in my basement. My parents never signed me up for sports. At home, we ate and we shopped. Her sister abounds. "He once told me that if our parents sent me to summer camp, that would mean I wouldn't come back! », Says Nadia Fürer, laughing.

TO MY TASTE

Fürer's adventure with design began three years ago. Not finding any tie that he liked in stores, he decided to create a pattern by adding many elements to a gray tie. "After seeing it, several of my friends wanted to borrow it! "Seeing that he had found a vein to exploit, he took a course in haute couture in order to realize his thousand and one ideas. During the Braderie de la mode québécoise in 2013, his first collection was all the rage. “I was told it was unheard of. People were relieved to find something less flat for men. Soon after, he quit his job to devote himself full time to creation.

FEMININE

Offering tailor-made (choice of fabric, concept and size), the designer discovered a new niche by imagining a bow tie at the request of Isabelle Hudon, CEO of Sun Life Financial in Quebec. “She approached us to reproduce an Yves Saint Laurent style bow tie. From there, I had lots of other ideas! Since many women were already buying our men's knots to wear them themselves, we knew there was a market. Swell Fellow also reproduces the men's models in a mini version for children.

SEE BIG

Soon relying on the support of public figures such as P.K. Subban, Eric Salvail and Sugar Sammy to increase awareness of the brand in Quebec, Swell Fellow also wants to grow abroad. In addition to providing 62 points of sale (Canada, England, Belgium, France, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Japan, United States), the company participates in several international events to create partnerships. “Several museums have expressed an interest in selling our creations or offering them as gifts. In the future, Swell Fellow wants to give its customers the opportunity to make their own ties on the internet.