» Want to Buy: Fitted Cowichan Sweater

I’d like a Cowichan Sweater. But the ones available in thrift and tourist stores have, for historical or practical reasons, very unflattering cuts.

There’s a Richmond (Coast Salish land) company called Granted that is producing what they call “Cowichan-inspired” sweaters with local (read: Asian immigrant) knitters. Both CBC 3 and The Straight have featured them without questioning their bona fides.

Four Horsemen menswear store in Victoria contracted Granted to produce custom sweaters which are being sold as “Cowichans”. The owner of Four Horsemen said something about Granted being a subsidiary of a traditional Cowichan company, but I can’t find any information about that online.

The question is whether Granted sweaters count as cultural appropriation? If not, buying one of those sweaters is stealing the Cowichan people’s intellectual property and depriving them of one of their few economic niches (see also: HBC’s Olympic sweaters).

2 Replies

2 thoughts on “Want to Buy: Fitted Cowichan Sweater”

  1. Jared Post author

    This is Granted’s response to my query of their bona fides:

    Sweaters

    We would like to clarify some aspects of our products. Some of you may be referring to our sweaters as a “Cowichan” We are fully aware that in order to use this label they must be made by the Cowichan Nation on Vancouver Island. To clarify we use the similar type of chunky knit style sometimes they are mistaken with the “Cowichan” sweater. We are very flattered by this but would like to inform you of the details. This chunky knit has a distinct look and is actually an old fashion knitting method called “intarsia” and was brought to the West Coast by European settlers near the turn of the century.

    Knitters

    Our community of knitters consists of stay-at-home mothers and grandmothers of various ethnic backgrounds from all over Vancouver. Each of our items are meticulously knit by hand and go through quality control tests before they reach retail stores.

    Concept

    Granted, with roots being from the West Coast, has always had some influence from our local surroundings including First Nations designs. However our brand image has always incorporated designs from around the world with a quirky yet understated Canadian spin. All fashion is inspired by the immediate surroundings of the designers and we are fortunate to live in Vancouver which is rich in its diversity, natural history and beauty.

    Reply ↓

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