Mackage Outerwear

Mackage was established in 1999 by Eran Elfassy in Montreal, and the story starts with leather. Elfassy came from the leather industry, so the first focus was leather jackets, and wool outerwear with leather detailing came later. Elisa Dahan joined as co-creative director in 2001, and the two have known each other since elementary school, which I find a lovely detail for a brand built on partnership. The label is mainly autumn and winter outerwear, so the ski pieces feel like a natural extension. The Satory Glo down one piece ski suit and the Elle down ski suit are the full commitments, while the Inga, Gia, Elle and Ella ski suits do the same job in different shapes. The Lorelle smocked technical ski suit is the one with a more sculpted look. If you prefer to build your own, the Gia ski pants, Gia ski suspender bib pants, Nyomi stretch shell ski pants, Nyomi suspender ski pants and Zavi ski pants split the idea. For a broader look at alpine coats, my story on Moncler jackets from alpine down to city is a good place to compare.

This is the heart of the brand. The Madalyn Glo glossy down jacket with a removable hood and the black Madalyn lustrous hood down jacket are the shiny ones, the Idalee light down jacket with detachable hood is the lighter option, and the Farren hooded down coat, Coralia hooded down puffer coat and Delta hooded down parka are for the coldest days. Wool and leather have a place here too, in the belted light wool coat, the Kacela coat, the Wool 2 in 1 Shia coat and the MAI L leather wrap coat. The brown Senka suede jacket is the quiet one. What I would skip is wearing a glossy down jacket over a long glossy dress, since the shapes compete. Wear it with plain trousers and a knit instead, and look at a guide to suede jackets or wool coats for the other half of the closet.

The next group moves from sport to city. The wool Corazon trench coat, the taupe Gael trench coat and the Mai lightweight wrap wool coat are the tailored options, while the Mai CN wool wrap coat and the Gloria wool removable bib coat add a little structure. For colder days, the Adali shearling trimmed down coat, the Adali hooded shearling down jacket, the Kay layered parka coat with shearling trim, the Lyris shearling collar puffer down coat and the Elita ski jackets are the warmest. The gray Juniper brushed knit bomber jacket and the Petunia quilted down jacket are the casual ones. Think of the trench as the October coat, and read a story on the fall trench to see why. For a parka with some bulk, a guide to parkas and short puffers is another good read.

The last group is short but well chosen. The Paya wool wrap coat with sash belt and the Coralia lustrous light down coat with sash belt both cinch at the waist, which gives a long coat some shape. The Zorica shearling trapper hat and the Willis shearling lined leather gloves finish the look. Given the brand's leather background, the gloves are the piece I would not miss. In our fashion dreams she steps out of a cab in SoHo, where the brand chose to open its flagship before Montreal, in the Paya coat and the trapper hat. It is a small group, and it makes the whole edit feel complete.

My Mackage plan would be one wool wrap coat, one down jacket and a pair of leather gloves. The brand is sold in more than 40 countries, but its roots in Montreal winters still show in every coat. The brand also makes lightweight spring and summer collections, so the same eye for tailoring is not only for deep winter. I would add the trapper hat for the coldest weeks and keep everything else simple.

If you want to keep going, Moose Knuckles Outerwear and Theory Knitwear and Outerwear pair well with this edit.