In this episode of Garmology, Nick heads to Edmonton, Canada, to meet Dylan Lynch — the new custodian of Kluane Mountaineering, a tiny but legendary workshop that’s been making expedition‑grade down jackets and sleeping bags for over 50 years. Dylan shares the brand’s unlikely origins, the almost mythical figure of seamstress Lucy, his own journey from winter camper to clothing‑and‑textile graduate to owner, and the uncompromising philosophy behind “making things properly or not at all.”

It’s a story filled with romance, mentorship, small‑batch craftsmanship, Japanese connections, Paris adventures, devotion to Canadian sourcing, extreme cold, and the joy of doing one thing extremely well—and never selling out.

You can find Kluane Mountaineering on the web at kluanemountaineering.com and on Instagram as @kluanemountaineering

This episode is also available on the Garmology YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/UWmu3gSlNLU

Garmology is by Nick Johannessen. There is no advertising or sponsorship, but you are welcome to support the podcast via my Patreon at patreon.com/garmology or you can buymeacoffee.com/garmology

Nick Johannessen is also the editor of the WellDressedDad blog and WellDressedDad on Instagram. You can email Nick as Garmology (at) WellDressedDad.com.

Garmology theme music by Fabian Stordalen.

In this episode of Garmology, Nick speaks with Professor Amy Twigger‑Holroyd, a designer, researcher, and academic specialising in Alternative Fashion Systems at Nottingham School of Art and Design. Amy shares her path from knitwear design and running a slow‑fashion label to becoming a leading researcher on sustainability, remaking, participatory textile practices, and what she calls fashion fictions.
She explains how mainstream fashion systems limit imagination and reinforce unsustainable consumption—and how speculative, playful “fictional worlds” can help people imagine alternatives.

The conversation explores remaking and mending, the cultural significance of handmade clothing, the psychology of fashion, participatory workshops, the blurring of fictional and real-world practices, and the ways collective imagination can inspire actual change. Nick and Amy also discuss sustainability fatigue, hope, ritual, meaning in clothing, and how fashion might evolve into something more connected, joyful, and human.

Amy is on Instagram as @amytwiggerh

More information about Fashion Fictions fashionfictions.org

The open-access version of the book can be found here.

Garmology is by Nick Johannessen. There is no advertising or sponsorship, but you are welcome to support the podcast via my Patreon at patreon.com/garmology or you can buymeacoffee.com/garmology

Nick Johannessen is also the editor of the WellDressedDad blog and WellDressedDad on Instagram. You can email Nick as Garmology (at) WellDressedDad.com.

Garmology theme music by Fabian Stordalen.

This episode of Garmology features host Nick in conversation with bespoke tailor Duane MacLeod, who lives and works on the coast of Maine.

Duane shares his unconventional journey into sewing and tailoring, beginning with a childhood in a DIY, self-sufficient family and escalating into a lifelong fascination with making things. After years of building houses, reupholstering furniture, and sewing casually, he began making garments seriously when his daughter — then studying fashion — challenged him to make his own coat.

Following early experiments with Japanese pattern books and the online sewing community (especially the influential blog Male Pattern Boldness), Duane slowly developed his skills and eventually became deeply interested in tailoring.

This led him to the Tailoring Academy in Macclesfield, UK, where he completed an intensive 10.5‑month professional training program later in life, after retiring from a nursing career. He describes the pace, rigour, camaraderie, and transformative experience of studying tailoring full-time, learning precise techniques, working with high-end fabrics, and building garments from the inside out.

Returning to Maine, Duane started Holdfast Bespoke, where he now makes custom jackets, waistcoats, trousers, and outerwear — often using fine woollens from mills like Moon, McGee, and Holland & Sherry. He discusses the challenges of sourcing fabric as a new artisan, the realities of working slowly and deliberately by hand, the joys of satisfied clients, and the emotional meaning people find in handmade garments.

Duane also shares his current project: preparing six looks for an upcoming runway show with the Maine Crafts Association. Throughout the conversation, it touches on craftsmanship, creativity, timeless design, the tailoring industry, and the personal satisfaction of continuing to learn and make meaningful things.

You can find Holdfast Bespoke at: www.holdfastbespoke.com.

Duane's Instagram account is @mainelymenswear, and the vest that didn't quite turn out right can be found on Duane's blog.

Garmology is by Nick Johannessen. There is no advertising or sponsorship, but you are welcome to support the podcast via my Patreon at patreon.com/garmology or you can buymeacoffee.com/garmology

Nick Johannessen is also the editor of the WellDressedDad blog and WellDressedDad on Instagram. You can email Nick as Garmology (at) WellDressedDad.com.

Garmology theme music by Fabian Stordalen.