Born and raised in Fernie, clothing designer Brylee Geddis has drawn inspiration from her hometown to create her latest clothing line, ‘chute’.
A small-town girl and skier at heart, Brylee moved to Vancouver to attend Kwantlen University’s Fashion Design and Technology program.
“Being a ski racer and being strongly influenced from my home-ec sewing class at Fernie Secondary, I came to Vancouver to pursue my dream in designing outerwear,” she said.
Brylee arrived at Kwantlen with one goal in mind: to supply female skiers with clothing they could be excited about. Now in her fourth and final year at the University, Brylee has produced a line that is a true representation of her roots.
“Fernie is the reason I am here today,” she remarked. “Coming from a small ski town into a fashion design program set me apart, as well as guided me. With a strong understanding and dedication to the outdoors I was able to make a collection around a sport that I knew and others around me shared. I honestly feel with a Fernie support team, anything is possible.”
The young designer was able to combine her skills, knowledge, and passion to create her thesis collection, chute. A women’s side-country specific line that exhibits style and function, chute displays Brylee’s extensive knowledge and background in the ski industry.
“By combining technical features, style, long slim fit, and natural colors, I am confident this is a line that has the ability to reach female skiers and push them to the next level.”
She went on to say, “I am inspired by the simplicity and beauty of the outdoors. Mixed with a retro, heritage feel I am able to combine my knowledge for what is needed in outdoor equipment with a simple mindset. Whether it is the natural color palette, or a tree line inspired design, my roots appear in every one of my designs.”
A passion driven outerwear brand, born from the feeling of skiing, chute is designed to help protect and support female skiers. By focusing on side-country functions and supplying high performance outerwear, the line offers safety and style on the hill, and beyond the map.
Brylee’s goal is to develop outerwear that will inspire more female skiers to get out there, push their limits, and do what they love. By making well-sewn, aesthetically simple, and long-lasting apparel, the vision of chute is to reduce environmental impact by providing clothes that don’t need constant replacing.
“To be able to combine my inspiration and my passion has really given me a strong foundation to start my future career in the industry,” shared Brylee. “I can’t wait to pursue my dream and get more women on snow doing what they love.”
Now that graduation is just around the corner, it’s time for Brylee to focus on the future.
“I have always dreamt that this career would lead me into a job at Patagonia, so it may be time to chase that dream. I eventually want to get my Home Economics teaching degree and come back to my roots,” she commented. “But, until then, I hope to work in the industry and continue to sew some garments under my label chute.”