Megan Waterman
Megan Waterman is the founder and owner of Skookum Parkas Yukon. Megan owned a sewing shop and studio space in Dawson from 2000 to 2010 and developed her Skookum brand through a combination of traditional education and experience. She attended Kwantlen Polytechnic University in Surry, British Columbia and completed Design Studies and the Fashion, Design and Technology programs. She interned with design firms in Vancouver and did a furrier mentorship with Musi Furs in Montreal. She talked with her First Nation customers and suppliers about projects, techniques, design and tradition. Megan spent three years perfecting her first anorak, based on her biologist husband's dream parka.1)
Megan first showed her work at the 2002 Dawson Fur Fashion Show and then her coats became available at stores in Dawson and Whitehorse. She developed her own production facility and hired additional staff to meet a growing demand. She created a modern take on the classic anorak and, in 2012, started the DeWolfe Collection, parkas named in honour of a famous Yukon mail carrier. Starting in 2002, Megan received industry awards from Style magazine and received international attention from the media. Due to her visibility outside the north, Megan created an online business in 2008 and produces 500 pieces a year, shipping to customers around the world. She supports her Dawson community by purchasing furs from northern trappers. She started working with Tr'ondëk Hwëch'in citizen Aaron Robinson around 2004. He traps in the winter and supplies her furs and then sells her parkas in his Dawson Trading Post during the summer. Megan listens to her customers and can make unique clothing that suits active outdoor lives as well as meeting the preferences of her urban clientele.2)