‘A Winnipeg brand with global ambition’

Sanjay Agarwal wants people to think twice about towels.

“You wouldn’t consider towels as a fashion item, but we do,” he said. “We think it can add a lot of colour and personality to the bathroom. So that is what we wish to present to our customers.”

The Winnipeg businessman is the founder and president at Everlayer, which sells luxury bedding, bath linens and home decor. The products are designed in Canada and manufactured in Europe.

Last week, the two-year-old company launched its newest collection of towels, with designs and colour compositions that Agarwal said approach the towel “less like a commodity and more like a considered piece of textile design.”

Each towel is made using long-staple combed cotton for plush softness, and features two looks — colour pairings give each side its own character. Everlayer uses natural materials that are soft, durable and biodegradable, and aims to create timeless designs, Agarwal said.

“We think this is one of the nicest towels out there,” he said. “They look beautiful.”

Agarwal brings more than 30 years of experience in the apparel and textile industry to his work at Everlayer. He studied garment manufacturing at the National Institute of Fashion Technology in his native India before embarking on a career that brought him to Winnipeg in 2000.

After 2 1/2 years in management at Nygard International, Agarwal left the company to start Orientworks Inc., an apparel sourcing and product development company.

For more than 20 years, the company supported international brands and retailers with sourcing, product development, vendor management, quality control and production coordination.

Agarwal said his work at Orientworks formed the foundation for his understanding of global supply chains, ethical manufacturing, product development and the importance of building trust across every part of the sourcing process.

Orientworks did well and employed 24 people at its peak, but the business took a hit during the COVID-19 pandemic. Agarwal wound the business down in May 2024 and started Everlayer four months later.

The entrepreneur said he saw an opportunity to create a line of premium, luxury home textiles.

“I thought there was a vacuum there in terms of design-led products for customers who care about what goes into the making of the product,” he said.

Products range in price from $90 to $390. Agarwal said Everlayer will end 2026 with a 500 per cent increase in revenue year-over-year. The company employs four people in Manitoba and is based in a Winnipeg office building on Scurfield Boulevard.

“We feel good about where we are right now,” Agarwal said.

The company has received attention from the Globe and Mail and OprahDaily.com, which Agarwal said has been helpful for a small company working in the direct-to-consumer space.

“We are a Winnipeg brand with global ambition,” he said. “Creating awareness about our brand, getting people to know that we exist, encouraging people to try (us) and educating them about what our product is all about is our single biggest challenge.”

Everlayer’s towels have been a welcome addition at Luxe Furniture Company in Winnipeg, which started selling the items at Christmastime last year after Agarwal approached the business.

“We sell high-end indoor and outdoor furniture and he thought it would be a good fit, and he was right,” said Phil Squarie, president.

Everlayer offers some of its towels in larger sizes that consumers might not find from other brands, he added.

“It’s just nice to get a unique product that is a little higher end,” Squarie said. “You’re paying a little bit more for it but you’re getting something that looks different, feels different (and) acts different because of the sizing.”

Agarwal said one of his main focuses for the next six months is pursuing more wholesale opportunities.

“Wholesale is the next big part of our growth story,” he said. “We are looking for fine retailers who can carry our product because our product lends itself to touch. If it is displayed nicely, it will fly.”

aaron.epp@freepress.mb.ca