Cashmere Queen

Shannon Wilson may have been the woman beside the man when it came to Lululemon, but Kit and Ace is all her and stepson, JJ. And with 65 locations in five countries in just two years, it’s hugely successful at that. Here, the company’s creative director talks personal style, family time (it involves donkeys in Morocco) and her secrets to juggling it all while running an empire. 

Kit and Ace has exploded since it launched in 2014. Do you think people identify the label as a Canadian or Vancouver brand, or is it more global now?

When I’ve been in the U.S. or in the U.K. I’ve heard people describing us as, “A Canadian brand from Vancouver.” I think what’s so great about that is I grew up all across Canada, and when I came to Vancouver I felt like I was so lucky to have landed here and I was like, “That’s it.” Between the mountains and the ocean and the lifestyle, I think Vancouver itself is a really strong brand that fits inside of Canada, and I think both are something people internationally like to speak about and share. 

What are you excited about for the spring/summer 2016 collection?

Starting this spring, we’re introducing technical silk, largely at the request of our Australia, Hawaii and Southern California shops looking for product that would function better in hot weather. We just got back from Australia where it was 39 degrees, and the fabric’s been doing really well there: it’s light, airy, it breathes and has a little Lycra, but you can also put it in the washer/dryer.

You’ve also added jewellery to Kit and Ace. How did that come about?

We always say we’re building product or clothing for people living full-contact lives, and we thought, “Well, what would this look like in jewellery?” We really wanted the line to be an extension of the fabric or combinations that we were using in our clothing, so one of our necklaces actually has woven cashmere with a little rose gold logo at the bottom.

Your headquarters in Vancouver now employs almost 400 people, yet you seem to know everybody’s name. How do you do that?

I don’t think I know everybody’s name, but I endeavour to know everybody’s name. We hold these group office lunches once a month and it’s a chance for Design to meet IT and E-Comm to meet Store Build-Out, and for teams that wouldn’t normally cross to learn a bit more about each other. It’s a thing that we learned from our manufacturers and suppliers in Asia who always stop and have lunch together and I was just like, “Wow, let’s do this in Vancouver!”

How would you describe your personal style?

I would say effortless-classic. Effortless being, you know, I move around a lot in a day, so what I have on can’t be fussy or difficult. And the classic part is I like pretty simple things that are going to last a while; great quality, great hand-feel, comfortable…

You have three young sons and are a stepmother to two older sons … how have you managed to balance motherhood and your demanding work schedule?

I don’t think there is a balance—I think it’s a juggle. Sometimes all the balls are up in the air and it’s going really smooth, and sometimes all the balls drop. But you know, what really helps is that Chip and I are both committed to the kids being the priority, so all of our decisions kind of work back from that. And I have a mom and dad who live in the city who are the best grandparents in the world. Every time the balls fall, they’re there to help me pick them up, too.

Read the rest of the Q&A with Shannon here! — Sarah Bancroft