Industry | Retail |
---|---|
Founded | 2014 |
Founder | Shannon Wilson J. J. Wilson |
Headquarters | , Canada [1] |
Number of locations | 6 (2024) |
Products | Technical apparel |
Owner | Joe Mimran Frank Rocchetti David Lui |
Website | www |
Kit and Ace is a Canadian clothing brand [2] founded in 2014 by Shannon Wilson, former lead designer of Lululemon Athletica, and her stepson J. J. Wilson. [3] Its focus is machine-washable cashmere wool clothing and accessories. [4] It is currently owned by Unity Brands Inc.
The first store opened in July 2014 in Vancouver's Gastown neighbourhood. [5]
In 2015, the brand opened retail stores in the US, the UK and Australia. [6]
In September 2015, the company installed shop-in-shop cafes from Toronto-based Sorry Coffee Co. in its London and Toronto stores. [7] [8]
In April 2017, Kit and Ace closed all its international stores, focusing on e-commerce and its eight Canadian shops. [9] Hold It All Inc., a Vancouver-based company, owned the brand until the end of August 2018. [10]
In 2018, CEO George Tsogas acquired it from the company's founders and changed the brand direction creating apparel that is Smart, Easy to Love, and Made to Last on a mission to Amplify Optimism in the world. [11]
In 2018, the Navigator pant was selected as part of the "Ultimate Travel Gear" of 2018 by Air Canada's enRoute Magazine. [12]
In November 2019, Kit and Ace opens its first West Vancouver location in The Village, Park Royal. [13]
In December 2020, Kit and Ace returns to Edmonton opening a new location on Whyte Ave. [14]
In June 2022, Kit and Ace opened a new location on Queen Street in Toronto. [15]
In July 2023, Kit and Ace was acquired by Unity Brands Inc. under the ownership of veteran retail executives Joe Mimran, David Lui and Frank Rocchetti. [16]