With a mission to inform, empower, celebrate and advocate for British Columbia's current and aspiring business leaders, BCBusiness go behind the headlines and bring readers face to face with the key issues and people driving business in B.C.
Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/1081341
FEBRUARY 2019 BCBUSINESS 65 Sock It to Me B.C. designers double down with hose for every taste and activity by Felicity Stone INVENTORY ( quality time ) MARCH 2019 BCBUSINESS 65 MAN UP Cousins Amit Aujla and Naveen Aujla started Delta-based Wolf Cloth- ing Co. in late 2015. Socks were a natural first product because they're a subtle way to add colour and personal- ity to a man's outfit in any setting, dressy or casual. Finding many men's socks outland- ish, the pair wanted to create unique designs that add a colourful touch but integrate well with an outfit. ▲ ART WALK Strathcona Stockings, launched in 2010 as a collection of limited edition printed socks, are original artworks, designed by founder Ryley O'Byrne in Roberts Creek and printed in East Vancouver. Made from a nylon-spandex, poly-spandex or nylon-Lurex blend (Sparkle Socks), the socks can be found online and in select boutiques worldwide. ▼ CYCLE THROUGH With backgrounds in, respec- tively, fine art and the skate- board industry, four years ago Christine Breakell-Lee and Matt Kelly launched XS Helmets for urban cycling. When retailers asked for non-biking items, the Vancouver pair began producing soft goods like socks, knits and caps to expand the XS Unified look to boutiques and gift shops. ▼ FILL YOUR BOOTS Pudus, from HBJR Holdings, the family-owned Richmond firm behind Dr. Segal's compression socks, made Oprah's list of favourite things twice: slippers in 2017 and boot socks in 2018. When customers men- tioned wearing the slippers in boots, the company designed a warm, thick sock expressly for that purpose. ▼ MAIN SQUEEZE When Dr. Jean Segal prescribed compression socks for his vein patients, they loved the feel but hated the look. Spot- ting a need, in 2012 the Delta surgeon's family launched Dr. Segal's compression socks, which are way more fun than old- fashioned supp hose. ALL-ROUNDER Victoria resident and former national mountain bike team member Rob Fraser had no luck finding socks that he could ride and exercise in but also wear to an event or casually. So in 2016, he co-founded Endur Apparel, which makes all-day performance socks incorporating bold colours and designs appropriate for any activity. ▲ BARE MARKET In 2008, eight-year-old Delta schoolkid Katelyn Lohr cut the toes off a pair of socks to wear with flip-flops in winter. Her classmates clamoured for some, so the Lohr family began making and selling them, eventually outsourcing to an offshore manufacturer and partnering with White Rock–based marketers Tickled Planet. With more than 100,000 pairs of Freetoes sold to date, Lohr is now headed to university to pursue a law career. MYSTERY OF THE MISSING SOCKS A 2016 study commissioned by Samsung to mark the launch of its AddWash washing machine found that the main reasons socks get lost in the laundry are the complexity of the washing load and the number of socks in each wash cycle. MAN UP Cousins Amit Aujla Naveen Aujla Delta-based ing Co. in late 2015. Socks were a natural first product because they're a subtle way to add colour and personal ity to a man's outfit in any setting, dressy or casual. Finding many men's socks outland ish, the pair wanted to create unique designs that add a colourful touch but integrate well with an outfit. , launched in 2010 as a collection of limited edition printed socks, are original artworks, designed and printed in . Made from a nylon-spandex, poly-spandex or nylon-Lurex blend (Sparkle Socks), the socks can be found resident and former national mountain bike team had no luck A 2016 study commissioned by Samsung to mark the launch of its AddWash washing machine found that the main reasons socks get lost in the laundry are the complexity of the washing load and the ▲ ▲