Since its humble beginnings in 2002, Lifetime Collective has evolved from an intimate project among friends in an old basement suite to become a thriving global brand driven by creativity and collaboration. With two menswear lines (their newest line, Uniform Standard, pays homage to skate and snowboarding culture), a women's collection, a zine, a shop, and a growing following under their belt, Lifetime has established itself as the ultimate success story. Founders Reid Stewart and Trevor Fleming are taking their brand to even greater heights while remaining true to their roots.

One of their most recent moves was the opening of Lifetime’s first retail space on Main Street: Little Mountain Workshop. The room also functions as an office and event space, giving the owners the ability to showcase their clothing more creatively and share their collaborative works. “It’s a great opportunity to tell our story and express who we are,” says Reid. “We’re able to merchandise the product how we want to, display it in a way that we can and have these events. It just speaks about your brand and what you’re doing – for me, that’s my favourite part about it.” The Little Mountain Workshop has an advantage that allows for more creative freedom from a design standpoint. Trevor states, “Sometimes our favourite things don’t make it to market because you’ve got to go through a buyer in order to get it on the sales floor. Being able to do direct- to-market is pretty awesome because you have some pieces that maybe no one else bought, but we have it here in the shop.” Another project that the Collective has launched in recent years is a bi-annual print magazine that features stories from an array of creative perspectives in photography, art, music and culture. The aptly titled “Free Thinkers Zine” illustrates the brand’s inspirations while giving credit to the many collaborators that shape each season. It’s clear that art plays a significant role in the brand, a factor that can be traced back to when Trevor and Reid enlisted their friends to contribute artwork that they would print on t-shirts. “When we started off, we were growing up with other brands that were in the skate and snowboard industry that were very logo driven,” states Trevor, “It was just about branding kids so they could become their minions. But there was this part of the culture that was very artistic and into self-expression. Individual styles of skateboarding lead into the way that people would dress differently. It all came together in this thing that brought them together, which was the sport and the art of skate. We wanted to do something different that allowed these kids to attach themselves to something more than just a brand.” As Lifetime grew momentum, so did their collaborations. Their network spans a diverse mix, including photographer Glen E. Friedman, artist Lindsey Hampton and even bands like Broken Social Scene and Pearl Jam. Trevor says, “This is a very organic family that we grew and built into a more global thing. Friends of friends hooked us up with their friends and their band, and that’s how it all evolved, hence [our name], the Collective.” - Valerie Tiu, editor of V.I.A.'s Inseam feature This is one of our Editor's Picks! Check out ALL of the winners of Most Awesome Awards from the Readers Choice below. We're excited that TELUS is helping us bring you the Most Awesome Awards. A longtime friend of V.I.A., TELUS is passionate about giving back to the community by recognizing, celebrating and supporting great community partners, friends and neighbours making a difference in the lives of others. Watch in the coming weeks as we roll out all of the Most Awesome Awards presented by TELUS.