A clothing retailer that got its start in Ottawa and went on to work with some of the world’s best-known brands is opening a flagship storefront in the city early next month.
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A clothing retailer that got its start in Ottawa and went on to work with some of the world’s best-known brands is opening a flagship storefront in the city early next month.
Raised by Wolves, a contemporary menswear brand founded in 2008 and rooted in graphic design, will open its first physical location at 145 Spruce St. on Nov. 1, owner, founder and creative director Calum Green told OBJ on Thursday.
“We’ve done pop-ups in the past, going all the way back to 2009 in Toronto,” said Green. “We’ve done events like launch parties for sneaker releases, we’ve partnered with stores. But we’ve never had a permanent space.”
An alumnus of Algonquin College’s graphic design program, Green launched the brand in Ottawa during the infancy of the streetwear movement that was sweeping cities such as Los Angeles and New York at the time. He spent seven years in Montreal, where he found unexpected success.
“It was a passion project, an outlet for myself – but the brand grew quite quickly,” he said. “We started getting international orders, both from customers and retailers. And then we started to get collaborations not just with local brands, but also international brands. We’ve worked with Vans, Reebok, Timberland, Timex, stuff like that.”
Six years ago, Green decided to move the company back to Ottawa, where he’s now putting down roots.
Green said the city is a tricky one for an apparel company like his.
“We’re sort of an island, because there’s no manufacturing in Ottawa and there’s not a ton of apparel industry,” he said. “Because there’s no industry to kind of go with the flow, we’re doing our own thing, which is nice. But I’m realizing more and more the importance of getting the brand out there.”
Green said the company has been leasing a space at City Centre for about six years, using it as an office and warehouse for handling products and shipping. But he said the front half of the space has been largely unused. Now, after six months of renovations, it’s nearly ready to welcome its first customers.
The City Centre complex, a former warehouse that was renovated into a shopping mall about 20 years ago, is a unique one for its tenants, which include retailers, restaurants and even a brewery.
For Raised by Wolves, the setting is a perfect fit for the brand itself.
“It’s a really amazing space in a really cool area, which is unlike anything in Ottawa,” he said. “We’re in a really cool location, at the intersection of Chinatown and Little Italy. And obviously being by LeBreton Flats, where they’re going to build the new arena and there’s condos going up in the next five to 10 years, it’s going to be a really great area.”
The store itself will not be the traditional window-fronted shop that lines main streets and shopping malls. Green said it will be mostly unmarked and customers will have to climb a set of stairs to find it.
“It’s really cool, like an ‘if you know, you know’ situation,” he said.
Green also plans to open up the space to bring in local artists and industrial designers for events and collaborations. The store will sell products from other local brands.
The store will open to the public for the first time on Nov. 1, with customers receiving a free specially designed T-shirt with their purchases. Green will also be hosting a party for friends and family in the evening to thank those who helped him along the way.
“I’m really proud of what I’ve accomplished,” he said. “I’m going to use this as an opportunity to take a step back and just appreciate how far we’ve come. In the back of my mind, having my own store has always been the dream, but it didn’t really seem achievable for a long time. For whatever reason in the past few months, I decided that now is the time to give it a shot. It’s sort of writing a new chapter for the brand, and I’m really excited about that.”
