Have bag, will travel
The story behind Herschel Supply Co. is a compelling one. In the early 1900s, Peter Alexander Cormack and his wife made the journey from Wick, Scotland — in the far north of the mainland — to settle in the small town of Herschel, Saskatchewan, through the homestead program.
Two hundred years later, in 2009, brothers Jamie and Lyndon Cormack decided to pay tribute to the bucolic Canadian hamlet where three generations of their family were raised. Based on the concept of the general store, Herschel Supply Co., from its present home in Vancouver, is now known as the manufacturer of reliably robust backpacks, bags and accessories.
Fusing city with country, past with present, Herschel’s range of offerings has since been turning the heads of savvy urbanites. Inspired by fashion and leading active lifestyles, these young individuals are likewise “interested in culture, art, music, photography,” says co-founder Jamie Cormack.
COMMON MUSE
Piecing a collection together, season after season, must be quite the challenge, and Cormack and his team usually start with a pool of ideas that’s shared throughout the product group. “We then narrow it down to the ideas that were unanimously picked,” he continues.
The brand resonates with the same can-do spirit required to move one’s family to a foreign land, so it comes as no surprise that Herschel and its employees share a common muse. “We are inspired by travel. Our entire company travels and our experiences are reflected in our products.”
Cormack was recently in Manila to launch Well Traveled, a photo essay series highlighting travel stories captured by the Herschel Supply community. Featuring high-quality photography paired with personal stories to show unique perspectives of each location, its goal is to inspire others to embark on their own Well Travelled journey. To date, Herschel Supply Co.’s community has visited over 65 destinations worldwide and has captured more than 70,000 pictures, as curated by the #WellTravelled hashtag on Instagram.
BUILT TO LAST
According to Cormack, picking the most flattering comment from devotees can be quite a challenging task. “We receive thousands of photographs and posts from all around the world from customers with their Herschel bags,” he says. “One that particularly stands out is from a customer who purchased the Woodbine hat and announced that he wanted to be buried wearing it. It’s a pretty extreme statement, but we found it amusing.”
As Herschel Supply Co. continues to prosper in a business that was once the sole preserve of traditional outfitters, Cormack attributes their success to consistency, attention to detail and a “dedication to showing up properly.” Of course, he then reveals what is perhaps the most important part of creating bags that are built to last: “having fun.”
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Herschel Supply Co., 2/F Building A, SM Megamall
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