Mackage is a luxury outerwear brand known for its stylish and high-quality leather and wool coats, jackets, and accessories. Founded in 1999 in Montreal, Canada, Mackage has earned a reputation for premium craftsmanship and cutting-edge design that comes at a high price point.
But what exactly makes Mackage so expensive compared to other coat brands? Here’s a detailed look at the key reasons why Mackage jackets retail for $500 and up.
Reasons For Mackage Being So Expensive
Here is a list of reasons:
- Premium Materials and Craftsmanship
- Innovative Modern Designs
- Prestige of an Established Luxury Brand
- Ethical Sourcing of Natural Fur
- Durability and Practicality
- Unique Brand Story and Heritage
- Environmental Responsibility
- Strong Resale Value
- Celebrity Endorsements and Pop Culture Appeal
- Inclusion in High-End Retail Stores
Let’s talk about them in detail.
Premium Materials and Craftsmanship
One of the main things that sets Mackage apart is the use of superior quality materials like real leather, wool, down and fur.
Mackage sources the finest European and Canadian wools, buttersoft lambskin and calfskin leathers, and premium duck and goose down to ensure maximum warmth, durability and comfort.
The leathers and wools are carefully inspected and selected.
For example, only the top 2% of merino wool that meets Mackage’s strict standards is chosen for their wool coats and jackets.
The down is premium European white duck or goose down with high fill power that provides incredible loft and warmth without excess weight.
In addition to premium materials, Mackage is all about expert craftsmanship and construction techniques. Their products are designed in Canada and manufactured either locally in their own Montreal factory or in select factories in Europe.
Highly skilled garment workers expertly cut, sew, and assemble each Mackage coat and jacket by hand. Many styles feature reinforced seams, custom hardware like metal rivets and snaps, and carefully shaped linings for a contoured fit.
It’s this meticulous attention to detail using premium materials and expert craftsmanship that results in the $900+ price tags on most Mackage coats. The quality is evident when you feel the buttery soft leather or run your hands along the precision stitching.
Innovative Modern Designs
Mackage is perhaps best known for its sleek, fashion-forward designs that blend urban streetwear with runway trends. Their apparel has graced fashion week runways around the world and is popular among celebrities.
Unlike classic and more conservative coat styles, Mackage pushes boundaries with modern silhouettes, bold colors, mix media fabrics, asymmetric zippers, oversized collars, and unique details.
For example, their popular Adali wool jacket features a slightly cropped and curved hem peplum-style bottom for a contemporary twist on a classic peacoat.
Staying on top of the latest fashion means continual investment in new design concepts, fabrics, hardware and production methods each season. All of this innovation is more expensive than simply producing tried-and-true traditional coat designs.
But it allows Mackage to charge premium prices to fashionistas seeking cutting-edge outerwear.
Prestige of an Established Luxury Brand
After over 20 years in business, Mackage has earned a reputation as a leading luxury outerwear brand.
They’ve built prestige through smart marketing, celebrity endorsements, and consistent high-quality and stylish coats season after season.
Their aspirational branding helps justify the premium pricing. When you wear a $900 Mackage jacket, you know you are sporting one of the hottest luxury coats available.
Only a handful of other labels like Canada Goose and Moose Knuckles compete in the same upscale outerwear space.
Part of this prestige comes from Mackage’s careful control over the brand image. They maintain exclusivity by selling through a limited number of high-end retailers and boutiques globally. You won’t find Mackage products being discounted at big box stores.
This air of exclusivity adds to the aspirational appeal and positions Mackage as a true luxury player able to demand top dollar for their coats.
Ethical Sourcing of Natural Fur
Many Mackage coats use real fur for hood trims and linings to add warmth, luxury, and style. Their fur comes from wild Coyote, Fox, and Racoon sustainably harvested under the strict regulations of the Agreement on International Humane Trapping Standards (AIHTS).
AIHTS sets rigorous traps standards to minimize animal suffering and require responsible wildlife management. Mackage is also a certified member of FurMark which ensures full traceability and responsible sourcing of all fur.
Sourcing real fur ethically adds to costs compared to using cheaper synthetic furs. But Mackage sees it as an important part of their commitment to quality and luxury. For many customers, real fur elevates Mackage above other brands and justifies the higher prices.
Durability and Practicality
While fashionable, Mackage coats are designed for durability and practicality as well. Their garments are meant to withstand real world use and the harshest winter weather year after year.
Key features that boost durability include reinforced stitching, water resistant leathers and wools, and solid metal hardware. Their slim silhouettes use fewer seams while inner rib-knit cuffs and hems keep cold air out.
Practical design elements like multiple zippered pockets and attached hoods lined with real fur make their coats versatile and comfortable for daily wear. And many styles have removable liners or can be reversed from smooth leather to warm wool fleece for multi-season use.
The result is outerwear that can command premium pricing because of proven performance and versatility over many years of use. Mackage quality ensures you get cost per wear over time rather than disposable fast fashion.
Unique Brand Story and Heritage
Mackage has done an excellent job crafting a unique brand story and heritage that resonates with customers.
They’ve forged strong connections to their Canadian roots in Montreal, bringing a cool exotic appeal.
Naming the brand after a Quebec colloquialism for a coat or jacket was genius.
The Inuktitut word “makkik” meaning “warm coat” inspired the name Mackage.
It ties them to Canadian heritage and their focus on warmth and quality.
The two founders behind Mackage, Eran Elfassy and Elisa Dahan, leveraged their unique personal love story to build the brand’s image. The real-life couple’s passion for fashion resulted in a luxury label worn by celebrities like Jennifer Lopez, Lady Gaga, and Blake Lively.
This appealing founder story and exotic Canadian connection help justify the higher cost. Customers are buying into a brand narrative and history that feels authentic and aspirational. The quality and design has lived up to the brand story.
Environmental Responsibility
In recent years, Mackage has invested heavily in sustainability initiatives to reduce their environmental impact. This includes using renewable energy in factories, recycled metals and eco-friendly leathers, and biodegradable, PFC-free water repellent treatments.
They launched their MADE TO BE REMADE program which recycles old Mackage coats into brand credit towards a new one. A partnership with One Tree Planted sees Mackage plant a tree for every jacket purchased.
While environmentally responsible practices ultimately save money, the initial investment in things like solar energy and material sourcing from sustainable suppliers adds costs. But for environmentally conscious consumers, Mackage’s efforts help explain the higher prices for an ethical luxury brand.
Strong Resale Value
The premium quality and enduring popularity of Mackage outerwear means their coats and jackets hold value quite well. Even gently used pieces often resell for 40-60% of the original retail price. Some limited edition and collectible styles even appreciate in value over time.
This strong resale value demonstrates that customers are willing to pay a lot upfront because they know they can recoup much of that investment later. Mackage quality ensures the pieces remain coveted years after purchase.
Of course, the resale value depends on condition and desirability of that particular style. But overall, pre-owned Mackage retains value better than fast fashion coats which end up in landfills. The impressive resale prices help justify buying at full retail initially.
Celebrity Endorsements and Pop Culture Appeal
Mackage has earned legions of celebrity fans from Jennifer Lopez to Blake Lively, Priyanka Chopra, and Sophie Turner. Photos of stars wearing the brand provide free advertising and reinforce the prestige.
They’ve also partnered with high-profile brand ambassadors like model Adriana Lima. The Victoria’s Secret Angel hosting Mackage events or appearing in ads gives the luxury label extra allure.
Seeing A-listers wearing Mackage on the red carpet and street style photos communicates that it’s a coveted brand worth splurging on. As fans aspire to emulate their favorite stars’ look, they are more willing to pay higher prices for what celebrities love.
Inclusion in High-End Retail Stores
You won’t find Mackage jackets in typical department stores. The brand carefully selects upscale retailers like Saks, Bloomingdale’s, Nordstrom, Holt Renfrew and boutiques to showcase their collections.
This luxury retail positioning alongside other designer brands sends the message that Mackage deserves similarly high price points. The exclusivity of where consumers can even find Mackage products cements the prestige.
If Mackage apparel hung on racks next to mass market coats, it would dilute the premium brand image. But its limited availability in high-end stores reinforces the luxury and justifies the dramatically higher prices.
Also Read: Is Barbour Ashby Better Than Bristol Jacket?
Mackage Coats – FAQs
Yes, Mackage is considered a high end, luxury outerwear brand. It competes with other premium coat designers known for quality craftsmanship and stylish designs like Canada Goose, Moose Knuckles, and RUDSAK. Mackage jackets retail between $500 to $900+ positioning Mackage firmly in the luxury space.
Mackage is best known for its sleek, fashionable leather and wool coats that blend streetwear and runway trends. They are particularly renowned for leather jackets and wool peacoats featuring modern silhouettes, bold details like asymmetric zippers and oversized collars, and high quality craftsmanship.
Mackage uses high quality natural fur like coyote, fox and racoon for hood trims and linings. They follow the strict AIHTS and FurMark guidelines for responsible and ethical sourcing of wild fur. Their fur comes from North America to support local trappers. Synthetic furs are not used.
Mackage offers a limited lifetime warranty against manufacturing defects on all of their jackets, coats, and accessories. This demonstrates the brand’s belief in the quality and durability of their products. The warranty covers faulty zippers, linings, buttons, or seam issues. Normal wear and tear or improper care are not covered by the warranty.
Final Thoughts
Mackage has clearly earned its reputation as a premium outerwear brand worthy of luxury price tags. By combining high-end materials, skilled craftsmanship, cutting-edge design, celebrity cachet, ethical sourcing, and durability, Mackage jackets deliver outstanding quality and style.
The cold hard truth is you have to pay more to get a coveted Mackage coat. For fashion-conscious consumers seeking a stylish, rugged and prestigious winter jacket, Mackage is a compelling option despite the huge investment required.
The premium costs are justified by the excellent construction, head-turning looks, and brand prestige that comes with owning this luxury Canadian label. If your budget allows, indulging in a Mackage jacket makes sense for shoppers wanting to own a true status coat.
