Slaying the dragons: Reminiscing about our appearance on Dans l’œil du dragon.

Proving that at Parmi, we’re nothing less than fearless, our cofounders Véronik and Michèle Bastien decided they wanted to slay some dragons. On June 12, the two businesswomen – renowned for both their forward-thinking – presented Parmi’s brand of premium, versatile and eco-innovative essentials to the five prominent entrepreneurs who make up the panel of Radio-Canada’s Dans l'oeil du dragon. (French Canada’s equivalent of the Dragons’ Den or Shark Tank.)

Mission accomplished.

The Bastien sisters’ journey – and even more so Parmi’s approach and raison d’être – convinced a dragon to invest in our brand.

The foundation of Parmi was inspired by a mission to bring simplicity to the outdoor experience. The kind of simplicity that drives you to do more with less; to break the cycle of overconsumption by choosing pieces that you’ll want to wear repeatedly; and to fully enjoy the journey, whatever path you take. From the highest mountain peaks to quaint neighbourhood cafés, from bike paths to wooded trails, Parmi’s playground has no limit, and our goal is to provide you with the means to enjoy it to the max.

“By participating in Dans l'oeil du dragon, we wanted to raise awareness about Parmi’s mission; a mission that motivates us to create sustainable, conscious and timeless solutions that have a positive impact on people's lives, as well as our industry. Parmi is a premium, unpretentious lifestyle brand, providing durable, technical clothing and accessories that are ideal for everyday life, with no frills and no compromise,” Véronik Bastien explained.

This isn’t Véronik and her twin sister Michèle’s first rodeo in the industry, and they wanted to use this opportunity to also highlight entrepreneurship and female leadership.

“This kind of visibility and investment will encourage the growth of a brand that is forward-thinking and that stands right where the fashion and outdoor worlds intersect. It will support our mission of facilitating the access to an active lifestyle with the absolute greatest respect for nature, ” the founders said. 

And it didn’t take long for the dragons to grasp that concept.

What’s the next step? What does our team intend to accomplish following our successful visit to Dans l'oeil du dragon? Here's what we have in mind.

Break into new markets 

With a goal of attaining more than CDN$1 million in online sales in 2024, Parmi intends to use the momentum generated with the show to strengthen its national marketing plan, especially targeting outdoor enthusiasts living in Western Canada.

“We’ll be able to enhance our marketing ecosystems and optimize our means of communication to reach a larger audience, as well as to amp up our message about the importance of conscious consumption, and to have people become more aware of our approach,” Véronik said.

Continue product development

There’s been a lot of emphasis in the past two years to create premium, versatile and durable products that simplify the outdoor experience – regardless of the activity, the weather conditions or what sort of terrain is in play.

“Quality and sustainability are both at the heart of everything we do. Our goal is to continue the innovation process to offer people clothing they can use 365 days a year; clothing which – just like a passion for the outdoors – is passed down from generation to generation,” Michèle Bastien said.

Laying a foundation on the retail side

We believe in the power of proximity. As we love our community, we plan to take our first retail steps by opening Parmi concept stores in strategic locations.

To watch Véronik and Michèle’s appearance on Dans l'oeil du dragon, click here.