Founders Shannon and JJ Wilson on Kit & Ace Going Big in London

Have you ever heard of technical cashmere? Vancouver-based lifestyle brand, Kit & Ace is making the term a fashion buzzword around the globe. The brand launched in 2014 and is the brainchild of Lululemon’s mother-and-son team Shannon and JJ Wilson. What started out as simple, ultra-soft T-shirts — upscale apres-yoga selects — has turned into a branded athleisure revolution. The brand has upped its separates exponentially: setting a refreshing, eco-conscious tone and setting up nearly 50+ stores around the world, including London’s much-buzzed-about Shoreditch store and more recently a Regent Street pop-up. It’s also sent its Copper Studio (a metallic fashion trailer) around the globe to promote and sell its stylish wares, food truck-style. Their selection of Beta Run items offer customers the chance to get a hold of first-edition samples from the brand’s launch—a genius way to create desire and coveted nostalgia within a new brand, not to mention a way to rebrand sale clothing items. We find out what makes this brand tick and discover more about Kit & Ace’s inspirations, the big ideas for the future and how this family-run team continues to reinvent the fashion wheel.

Something Curated interviews mother-and-son team, Shannon Wilson and JJ Wilson on how they’ve built up Kit and Ace in London and what their recent store openings in Shoreditch and on Regent Street means for the brand on a global scale.

Something Curated: Tell us about the moment that Kit and Ace became a reality. What was the catalyst for creating this brand after so many successful years at Lululemon?

Shannon Wilson: “We spent a year in Australia and while we were overseas, the idea for Technical Cashmere™ came to us. Cashmere is the material that comes to mind when you think of luxury fashion, but it is difficult to care for. I wanted something soft and luxurious like cashmere, but also durable and flexible.”

JJ Wilson: “We looked at our friends and family — and ourselves — and saw a group of people living full-contact lives who were in search of functional clothing that could keep up, but still stylish and luxurious. With my mother’s institutional knowledge, we were able to create an entirely new category of apparel, which we call Technical Luxury™, by elevating luxury fabrics (like cashmere) with technical fibres to give them added stretch and make them completely machine-washable.”

SC: Was it a need in the industry that you saw, the fabric technology, or was this a part of your personal passion project list all along?

SW: “Both. We’ve always been passionate about innovation in design, but as mentioned, we recognized a void in the luxury apparel industry, which led us to create Qemir™, our family of proprietary fabrics that combine technical attributes with luxury fibres. We saw a need for products that offer comfort and functionality without sacrificing style.”

SC: What makes the first store in London (Shoreditch) special? Tell us what’s special about the design of this space, and overall about the use of copper within the brand in general.

JW: “The Shoreditch location is our first permanent space in the UK. When designing the space, we were cognizant of ensuring a fit with the traditionally gritty feel of the neighbourhood, while still mindful of our West Coast Canada aesthetic. It’s an entirely custom fabricated space — every single fixture was custom-made, including our hyper-local pieces: custom quality pieces created by local artists and contractors. The hyper-local pieces in Shoreditch include a Supper Club table, benches, and chairs created by Sebastian Cox, and an iconic photograph by Raphaelle Bob Garcia. Shoreditch also marks the launch of Sorry Coffee Co., our coffee concept. We now have two Sorry Coffee Co. locations — the second is attached to our Bloor Street flagship in Toronto. Sorry was particularly exciting for us in terms of design, as it reflects a more masculine vibe than our Kit and Ace spaces. The counter is made from a single marble slab and the shop also features bespoke tiling and a custom fabricated “Sorry Coffee Co.” marquee light.”

SC: Why did you choose this neighbourhood to debut the brand and what makes London a great place to build the brand and sell product?

JW: “We design for our customers who are creative, so whenever we enter a new market, we look at areas that are up-and-coming, that are doing things differently and that serve as creative hubs. To us, that area of London is Shoreditch.”

SC: What is the hardest part about launching a Canadian-based brand in the UK and Europe? Tell us about some of the perks. Why is this market great?

JW: “We’re a Canadian company and that’s reflected in everything we do. We never want to lose sight of our West Coast Canada roots, but we also are highly focused on engaging locally in the markets we enter – so balancing the two can be a challenge, but our talented team is up to the task. The response to our brand in the UK has been very strong. Londoners get what we’re about — our product works for them and for the busy lives they’re leading, it’s been a natural fit.”

SC: Tell us how you’re reinventing “Effortless Luxury”— what does luxury mean to you?

JW: “To us, luxury is clothing that looks and feels luxurious, but still suits a busy, active lifestyle. A well-made piece that holds up from early morning meetings to a post-work dinner is luxurious and effortless.”

SW: “We’ve created ‘Technical Luxury’ to cater to the modern consumer. By enhancing luxury fibres like cashmere with technical attributes we’ve developed clothing that has the perfect balance of softness and ease of care.”

SC: Who shops at Kit and Ace? Who is the Kit + Ace muse — the ultimate target buyer?

JW: “As mentioned, we design with the creative class in mind — people who are on the go, who are innovative and future–focused. They make an impact on the world around and are driven by the effect of their creative endeavours. We celebrate what others are contributing to the world and we recognize how their work influences us.”

SC: What trends in fashion are inspiring you at the moment?

SW: “We’re interested in the shift towards to technical clothing — clothing that is functional but still luxurious and beautiful inspires us. We’re excited to shake up the athleisure trend by turning it on its head – we make streetwear geared towards movement, rather than the other way around.”

SC: What do you do to stay inspired and to stay informed? Tell us about some of your own personal habits that keep you plugged in.

JW: “I’m lucky to have friends both in Vancouver and around the world who keep me inspired and informed. We also have an incredible team at Kit and Ace who keep us on our toes. When I’m not on the road, I teach classes at Ride Cycle Club, our indoor cycling studio, as much as possible.”

SW: “As a family, and as a company, we practice mindfulness through Whil, our digital health and wellness platform.”

SC: Why did you choose Regent Street for your second store? We know it’s where many high street and up market brands have locations but what made it appealing to Kit + Ace?

JW: “Whenever we expand in a market, we look at a variety of locations that represent different demographics. Regent Street is a hub for retail brands and so it just made sense for us as a second space, particularly given the positive response we’ve received in Shoreditch.”

SC: What are some of the special design features at the Regent Street store? Did you work with the same local furniture designers and photographers/artists as the Shoreditch store?

JW: “Our Regent Street shop spans three floors — a first for us — and our hyper-local pieces are unique to the location, including a series of Iconic Photographs by Conor McNeil.”

SC: Will there be a Sorry Coffee location added on to the Regent Street location? What special events will surround the opening of this location?

JW: “We don’t have a Sorry Coffee location planned for Regent Street at this time but we will be hosting other in-shop events on an ongoing basis, including our Supper Clubs.”

SC: What part of the Spring 2016 launch are you excited most about? What products are coming down the pipeline that we should know about.

SW: “Our Spring 2016 collection is still under wraps — you’ll have to wait and see!”

 

Text: Glynnis Mapp,
Images: Andrey Uverskiy, Courtesy of Kit & Ace