BCBusiness

10 G o F i g u r e, l e f t t o r i g h t : Yu m m y B u u m / S h u t t e r s t o c k ; Tr a n s li n k ( 2 ) ; B r i a n F r i e d m a n / S h u t t e r s t o c k B C B U S I N E S S . C A S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 5 GO FIGURE by Michael McCullough CRUSH HOUR With the passage of Labour Day, it's back to bridge-and-tunnel lineups and packed Vancouver B-Lines for commuters headed back to the office or class. Here, we look at some numbers around commuting in B.C. The average 10-km drive in Metro Vancouver in 2024 took 18 minutes, 46 seconds—up 40 seconds from 2023. The average car speed was 32 kph, down 1 kph year-over-year. During the afternoon rush hour, traffic slowed to an average 25.3 kph, raising the 10-km journey time to 23:44. The busiest time of the week to drive in Vancouver is between 5 and 6 p.m. on Thursdays. TRANSLINK TOOK PASSENGERS ON 240.9 MILLION JOURNEYS IN 2024, A 3% INCREASE FROM 2023. (BY COMPARISON, MILEAGE DRIVEN IN PASSENGER VEHICLES IN METRO VANCOUVER GREW JUST 1%.) DURING THE FALL, THE TRANSIT AUTHORITY SERVED 420,000 UNIQUE PASSENGERS ON A TYPICAL WEEKDAY. often (though not always) shallower breasts. Daylilie is in its product development phase (on its seventh iteration at the time of writing), utilizing the brain- power of team members with experience at powerhouse clothing brands Lululemon, Arc'teryx and Aritzia. "We don't design on trends," Widjaja says. "We look at the problem first and we de- sign around that… The second layer is when we make it look beautiful, timeless and chic." Conventional bras have straight bands that go across the torso, which can cause chafing and pinching at the back for athletic silhouettes. Daylilie's bras are more dynamic, designed with a dip along the band to leave space for the latissimus muscle. "It's very mobile, very malleable. And that is so we can contour the body well because everyone has different wideness," Widjaja explains. The hook connecting the band allows for more movement, and the bra cup is shallower and has a wider base. Daylilie's slogan: "Silhou- ette, not sizes." While brands like Pepper or Knix market " We don't design on trends. We look at the problem first and we design around that… The second layer is when we make it look beauti- ful, timeless and chic." Widjaja says sets them apart. The brand has filed a provi- sional patent for their design. Since creating their test product, Widjaja and Casson have received a wave of posi- tive responses. "It was really cool to see them stand back… [and] look at themselves in the mirror," Widjaja says, reflect- ing on a fitting Daylilie did with UBC varsity athletes last year. "If this is how they are reacting with the proto[type], I'm sure we'll have an even better reac- tion with the actual product." Casson has noticed the same type of feedback. "We get this unanimous sigh of, 'Oh my gosh, something for me.' And I think that's really special for us because we've felt that way for so long," she says. Casson is also confident that the need is everywhere. It's a new niche, with more women getting into weight- lifting and sports, building an athletic body type. "It's just a really exciting time to be in this space," she says. In May, Daylilie was one of 20 startups selected out of hundreds to move on to the third phase of the Athlete365 Alibaba Global Accelerator led by the International Olympic Committee. It's a new program that supports Olympians be- coming entrepreneurs through access to education and development support. Being selected means Daylilie will receive direct mentorship and opportunities to access funding through international networking. "It's one thing to believe in yourself. But it's another thing when you have the Olympic Committee backing you as well," Casson says. The duo is looking to grow Daylilie as much as they can, organically, before turning to the traditional investment model, especially since they're in such early days. The brand is aiming ("with ambition," Widjaja notes) to launch—or at least have pre- ordering—by the end of 2025 to early 2026, just in time for the "new year, new me" wellness season in January. The co-founders are also hopeful that bras are just the starting point for Daylilie. "There's just so much that's being underserved in terms of athletic women having everyday clothing that fits them, that's made for their bodies, that moves with them," Casson says. inclusion, they often provide that inclusion in a specific way. "Most companies focus on the cup size, but then they forget that it has to go around the body," Widjaja says. That leaves Daylilie with no compe- tition when it comes to design- ing for silhouettes, a focus that

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