A Traveler’s Tale: Fashion designer Haider Ackermann on Churchill, Manitoba—
“In November of 2023, I went to Churchill, Manitoba, in the northern reaches of Canada. Canada Goose had approached me to become their creative director, and I wanted to learn more about the company and their partnership with Polar Bears International, a nonprofit conservation organization based in Churchill. I was immediately seduced by the silence and the immense landscape. There’s something beautiful about it: You feel like a very small person, you’re made vulnerable, and you realize you don’t mean that much in the world. It was the start of winter and the temperature was 20 degrees below zero, but I couldn’t really feel the cold because I was so excited to be part of this journey that I forgot about everything else. The PBI scientists took me out on drives to see the polar bears several times. They’re adorable, yes, but dangerous too, so we rode this thing called a tundra buggy, which was really a giant protective truck. I was excited like a little child, but I was also feeling heartbreak and tenderness. We had the wonder of seeing triplets with their mother. The scientists told me it’s very rare nowadays to see triplets, because the ice is melting and babies often die. We sat in the truck for hours, watching the polar bears and talking about the impact of climate change—the disaster we as humans are provoking. We are part of the problem, but we are also part of the solution. It was a really moving education. I literally broke into tears. Previously, this was not the kind of thing I would have done, because I was too busy with my own little life. But now, when I do get into nature, it calms me down and gives me peace of mind. It’s a very lonely moment to be confronted with the question of yourself. I look forward to going back this year. In that endless white vastness, the air is so pure that it doesn’t smell of anything. It’s silent. It’s absolutely mind-blowing.” —Haider Ackermann, as told to Matt Ortile
Haider Ackermann is the creative director of Canada Goose and Tom Ford. His newest collection for Snow Goose by Canada Goose, the brand’s reintroduced heritage label, is now available.
This article appeared in the September/October 2025 issue of Condé Nast Traveler. Subscribe to the magazine here.
