Article published on December 1, 2025 by Chloé Pouliot, Le Soleil.
The logistics of manufacturing textile products 100% in Canada, as they are doing currently, are becoming more difficult for Lasclay. As its collection grows rapidly, the founder is gradually turning his sights toward Tunisia.
Founder of Lasclay, Gabriel Gouveia is not ready to completely give up local manufacturing, which has been part of the company’s DNA since it launched in 2020. He currently works with 3 manufacturers in Quebec and also completely produces items, like the milkweed insoles and scarves, in his own factory.
“We still make most of our products locally. We continue to buy milkweed locally, and we continue to process it here,” he says to Le Soleil, which met him in his 10,000-square-foot facility in the heart of the Limoilou neighborhood in Quebec City.
He is banking on the potential of milkweed silk. Among other things, he stuffs mittens, scarves and lunch bags with this eco-friendly insulator that grows with very little effort in North America.
“With barely 300 kg of milkweed, about one-fifth of what a single average milkweed grower can produce (there are 25 remaining), we generated about a million dollars in revenue this year,” the young entrepreneur says with satisfaction.
Since the natural insulator comes from a local crop, Mr. Gouveia had set himself the goal of designing and manufacturing his products from A to Z on home soil. He now notes, however, that the logistics behind this type of production are starting to weigh heavily on his cash flow, especially in the very short peak season of his winter products.
“We can fall into another trap: because milkweed is farmed domestically, many people feel we also have to do everything else here as well, even if we're not necessarily competitive,” he says, questioning this assumption.
A winter jacket that changes everything
With the desire to add a coat and a sleeveless jacket filled with milkweed to his collection, the question inevitably arose.
“The idea of a milkweed-based winter jacket is great, but if it’s a parka made in Canada and sold for $1,000 like what we saw before… how many people are going to try it and conclude that milkweed is warm?” asks the entrepreneur, who wants to democratize this material that is still very little-known among consumers.
While the shell of the outerwear is made in Tunisia, the removable pads that are inserted inside the coat and vest are made in his workshop.
“We have the benefit of being able to speed up production, lower costs and offer a milkweed jacket under $300, which is unheard of,” he says, emphasizing that the decision was not easy to make.
The entrepreneur is aware that this shift will not please everyone.
“We might lose people. It’s inevitable.”
— Gabriel Gouveia, founder of Lasclay
Some of his doubts were eased, however, when nearly 200 coats found takers in 24 hours during a presale held on May 31.
Meeting demand
This shift in production is far from perfect, the founder of Lasclay admits.
“Here, we have all the equipment we need to have an idea, turn it into reality in less than a week and deliver the product. Manufacturing some product overseas will change the timeline” he notes, explaining that he would have to adjust to these longer lead times if he indeed chooses this option.
Still, Gabriel Gouveia intends to repeat the experience with other products under development, such as sleeping bags, bedding and slippers. He is also rethinking the production model for other accessories currently made here.
Every fall, as his sales reach a peak, the manufacturer hits a wall because of a lack of inventory. The seasonal nature of his product line and the difficulty of responding quickly to demand lie at the heart of the challenge.
“Every winter, I don’t have time to react. […] There’s always a bottleneck somewhere. It’s a good kind of problem to have too much demand, but it's STILL a problem” he says with a smile.
With the ambition of producing higher volumes at affordable prices, manufacturing solely in Quebec also has its limits, he says. All the more so because the entrepreneur wants to open the door to retailers in Canada, but also in Europe.
“We have healthy margins for online sales, but the margins aren’t high enough for retail. We need to work on that,” he says.
LASCLAY AT A GLANCE
- Founded in 2020
- More than 40 milkweed-inspired products
- Team of six
- Selling and shipping across continental USA and Canada
- Nearly one million in annual revenue
