Can't find the right coat for harsh N.L. weather? This woman made her own

Maria Halfyard couldn't find the right jacket to protect her from Newfoundland's harsh weather — so she took it upon herself to create her own coat.

For the past four years, she's been working on designing and manufacturing that vision into a reality. 

"I saw a need. I chatted with some other ladies ... and they had the same issue. So I said, okay, if they have the same issue then maybe a lot more women do," she said. 

The name of Halfyard's new brand is Mernini.

Hoping to launch fully in late March or early April, the women's coat will come in two colours and will have features which Halfyard said are designed for "North Atlantic wind and rain." She said that the project is personal for her — the name, Mernini, comes from Halfyard's childhood.

"As a kid, Maria was always really hard to say. And I have five other siblings, so it just kind of molded into Mernini," she said.  

Don't stop if you come up against a barrier. Because I've had many, but I kept going.-Maria Halfyard

"It kind of looks Italian. It's quirky. It's a fashion label-looking kind of name, so I like it, and it's me."

The jacket is made of polyurethane and cotton, with features like a breathable vent, waterproof zippers, a magnetic front flap and a very large hood.

"Because I always put my hair up and I don't want it getting messy," Halfyard said.

"I've been working in the Maritime field for 17 years, always going to meetings, sometimes I visit ships. So I'm out in all kinds of weather and just got irritated that I couldn't find something that keeps my outfit dry."

Don't let the doubters get you down

Halfyard said that anyone could do a similar project, and that the key is persistence. 

"Don't stop if you come up against a barrier. Because I've had many, but I kept going," she said.

Halfyard spoke with scientific researchers and textile manufacturers, and research her competitors and the market for years to get as far as she did with the brand.

"I think if you have a vision for something and a passion for seeing something come to life, keep going. Try not to think about all the negative things people say to you. Just trust yourself."

So far, that trust shows signs of paying off for Halfyard. A video advertising her product online has racked up over 32,000 views, and she said she's in collaborative talks with stores in downtown St. John's.

One of the jacket's features is a small piece of granite cut in Pasadena, N.L. and polished and engraved with a small logo in St. John's.

"Every woman will have a piece of Newfoundland right on her coat," Halfyard said.

"Literally have a piece of Newfoundland on the jacket."

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