Mikuniss Collection

Mikuniss Collection is an environmentally conscious Indigenous fashion brand headquartered in Mashteuiatsh in the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region. Founded in 2022 by Ilnu-Québécoise designer Valéry Larouche, Mikuniss Collection aims to meld traditional Indigenous know-how and artisanship with contemporary innovation and styling.

Larouche studied fashion design with a focus on fur garments at Collège Marie-Victorin in Montreal (2018-2021) before returning to Mashteuiatsh to establish her fashion business with the intention of contributing to the economic development of her community. Located in the same building as fellow Ilnu business René Robertson Fourrures (where Larouche interned after completing her studies), Mikuniss Collection is known for its unisex, streetwear-inspired designs, stylish women’s ready-to-wear and one-of-a kind pieces, ethically sourced fur and leather garments, and a wide range of accessories.

Sustainability is at the heart of Larouche’s design practice.

Natural, organic fibres and fabrics are prioritized, and off-cuts are carefully sorted and reused to reduce waste. Mikuniss Collection also operates on a pre-order system to minimize the amount of unsold stock.

Larouche recently collaborated with Écofaune Boréale in Mashteuiatsh on a long-term research project examining an ecologically responsible, vegetable-based method of tanning fish skin. As fish skin is food waste, its use in fashion products aligns with Larouche’s environmental consciousness; she has experimented with tanning walleye, halibut, lake trout and salmon skin. In autumn 2024, Mikuniss Collection collaborated with Huron-Wendat moccasin manufacturer Bastien Industries of Wendake on a capsule collection of two moccasin styles incorporating tanned salmon skin.

Along with She Holds the Sky Designs, MINI TIPI, Bastien Industries, Matsheshu Créations, Atikuss and Jolène Robichaud Fashion Designs, Mikuniss Collection is a member of the Indigenous Collective, formed by Bastien’s CEO Jason Picard-Binet to promote Indigenous artists and designers and address issues of cultural appropriation, representation and respectful collaboration. This collective of seven Quebec-based fashion brands presented a fashion show and conference during the 2024 edition of Montreal Fashion Week, and a fashion show at the McCord Stewart Museum during the 2025 edition.

In October 2024, Larouche merged her business with René Robertson Fourrures. Operating under the Mikuniss Collection brand name, the integrated Robertson Fourrures employees, equipment, inventory and patterns allow Larouche to continue developing the fur and leather aspects of her business.