Wearing your city with pride

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 09/05/2015 (2880 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

When Stephen Dubienski lived on the West Coast a couple of years ago, he saw Vancouverites showing their pride by wearing Van City clothing and thought “why not Winnipeg?”

Before he moved back to his hometown, he asked Jeff Martin, who created the Van City brand in the late 1990s, if he was interested in trying to replicate the success in Winnipeg.

After having had so many people “borrow” his designs without telling him, Martin was shocked at Dubienski’s request.

After mulling it over, he agreed, and together they set out to create the The Peg brand. It had a quiet launch last year but is ramping up after the start of its website last month.

Dubienski thought with all the excitement surrounding the return of the Jets and the new stadium for the Blue Bombers, not to mention the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, Winnipeggers had never been more proud of their hometown.

If they couldn’t shout their pride from the top of the Richardson Building, they could at least display it on their bodies.

That goes for people who have moved away, too.

“With the high energy that Winnipeg has now, I think it’s a great opportunity for our expats to put something on that they feel proud of and represents where they’re from,” he said.

Having lived in several cities in the past 15 years, Dubienski didn’t have to fake his feelings for Winnipeg.

“I have never shied away from my roots. I am who I am because I grew up in Winnipeg. There’s a lot to be said for lasting out the winters. Winnipeggers have a lot of character,” he said.

The Peg offers T-shirts, tank tops, hoodies, sweatshirts as well as hats and tuques.

Dubienski recently received a high-profile shout out after dropping a package of The Peg clothing off for soccer star Desiree Scott at her mom’s house to wish her well in the upcoming Women’s World Cup of Soccer.

‘I have never shied away from my roots. I am who I am because I grew up in Winnipeg’

— Stephen Dubienski, founder of The Peg clothing line

“Winnipeg on me, I wear it like a hat, I’m a Peg City girl & so proud of that,” the 2012 Olympic bronze medalist posted on Twitter, complete with a picture of her wearing a The Peg hoodie.

The Peg has one retail presence at the Urban Bakery, a streetwear and lifestyle store downtown, and one online at thepegauthentic.com.

Martin said he sold about $800,000 worth of Van City clothing last year from his streetwear store, Dipt. Its most popular design is the one that mimics the logo of ’80s rap group, Run DMC.

“The band never fought my trademark. It was a non-issue,” he said.

geoff.kirbyson@freepress.mb.ca