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Vancouver is home to a thriving fashion industry made up of individuals committed to its growth and success. Get to know these personalities in The Inseam and discover what makes the Vancouver Fashion scene so awesome. |
Photos: courtesy STR/KE MVMNT
STR/KE MVMNT is one of the newest lifestyle brands to come out of Vancouver. Specializing in sport performance apparel and footwear, the label presents a clean and modern aesthetic attractive to both athletes and rookies alike. With community involvement as a founding element, STR/KE MVMNT is using their passion of athletics to inspire others. I chat with one of the label’s founders, Marc Morisset, to discuss their story.
Valerie Tiu: Where did the idea for STR/KE MVMNT come about?
Marc Morisset: The concept for the brand arose out of a need for a specific type of shoe—a minimalist cross trainer, to be specific. There were minimalist running shoes in the market at the time that we began development but most were trail specific or lacked the design features which would be good for other aspects of cross-training. They also shared a similar fish lure type of aesthetic that left us scratching our heads. In exploring the aesthetic we wanted to use on the shoe, the overall look and feel of the brand began to take shape and filtered through the apparel collection. STR/KE MVMNT is an athletics brand for people coming from a street wear and action sports background - for people who maybe don't initially relate to some of the brands and product out there in this segment. The word STR/KE comes from the part of the running cycle when your foot hits the ground and MVMNT relates to physical activity but also wanting the brand to have a collective personality.
VT: Can you tell us about your mantra, "United by motion"?
MM: We wanted to define the brand as a unifier and celebrate diversity. When you do active things with other people it's a unifying experience, whether it's kicking a ball around with friends, a hard workout, a 10k run or a surf trip. Activities you share build bonds and we wanted to incorporate that feeling into our brand as much as possible. Positive vibes.
VT: How would you describe your aesthetic?
MM: It's a traditional athletic aesthetic with street wear influence. Utility and ease of use are considerations in the design process.
VT: How do you incorporate high performance materials into your designs?
MM:We use high quality, Canadian-made fabrics that lean towards a more traditional composition that includes cotton. You need about 8 percent poly content for a fabric to start wicking moisture from your skin and we have 35 to 50 percent polyester, but we balance that out with cotton for a much nicer overall experience that translates easily to everyday use. As for the footwear, we build performance cross-trainers out of super light materials, the qualities that make the shoes excel for cross training also make them incredibly comfortable for the casual wearer.
VT: Who and what inspires STR/KE MVMNT?
MM: The brand is inspired by an active casual lifestyle, rooted in traditional athletics and streetwear. We draw inspiration from travel, architecture, and clean designs. At the end of the day we are inspired by the people who enjoy our product because the collection is ultimately for them.
VT: How does living in Vancouver influence your line?
MM: This is a mecca for active people—you can do it all here. We want to celebrate that while offering an alternative aesthetic to some of the trends that have emerged from the PNW.
VT: Community involvement appears to be an important part of your mandate. Can you talk more about this?
MM: We have a set of core principles that we have built the brand around and one of those is to support our community. We are currently working closely with a youth program that encompasses physical activity, mentoring and civic responsibility. It's called The Vars/ty Initiative and it's headed up by one of our "Activators" in North Vancouver. We collaborate to create extra spots in the camps for kids who might have a hard time affording it.
VT: Being new to the game, what's been your biggest challenge so far?
MM: Getting ahead on our production schedule and trying to have reasonable pricing on locally made goods. We are committed to being an accessible brand, price wise. Also just getting the message out there, when you are small it's tough and so we really appreciate being included on V.I.A. Thank you!
VT: How do you envision the future of STR/KE MVMNT?
MM: We want to design ourselves a bright future and be active participants in our communities. We want to make quality product, which performs and has a long lifespan. We want to create a compelling alternative in the athletic market and help to redefine where athletic product can be found. As our hang tags say, "to create new athletic standards."
Check out STR/KE MVMNT online.
