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Jun 09, 2023

Vuori founder: 'The British were an early adopter of the tracksuit'

The athleisure market is undeniably a crowded one, with start-up brands arising faster than new workout or wellness trends. Vuori, however, might be the biggest brand in this space you have not heard

The athleisure market is undeniably a crowded one, with start-up brands arising faster than new workout or wellness trends.

Vuori, however, might be the biggest brand in this space you have not heard of – yet. Established in Encinitas, California in 2015 by former accountant and athlete Joe Kudla, Vuori has grown to unicorn status with a $4bn [£3.1bn] valuation, thanks to a $400m [£316m] investment from SoftBank Vision Fund 2 in 2021, and a $45m [£35.6m] investment from Norwest Venture Partners in 2019. The Vuori business has been profitable since 2017.

Vuori chose London for its first store outside of the US, and opened in Covent Garden last year. It is also stocked in Harrods, Selfridges, Barry's Bootcamp and Cotswolds Outdoors within the UK.

The activewear brand recently announced the arrival of Vuori BlissBlend, an innovative new fabric made from 75% recycled polyamide, and 25% elastane, which adds to the technical range Vuori is known for. BlissBlend utilises a special Lycra fibre which molds to the body and does not lose its shape. Other innovative fabrics used by Vuori include its jersey DreamKnit fabric, which blends recycled polyester and elastane for a four-way stretch and moisture-wicking qualities. DreamKnit is used for essentials including joggers, shorts and sweaters.

Retail prices vary from £47 for a bra to £160 for a rain jacket.

Drapers caught up with founder and CEO Joe Kudla to discuss the past, present and future of Vuori.

You started Vuori back in 2015. What inspired you to do so?

Founder of Vuori, Joe Kudla

Like a lot of former athletes I was suffering from a bad back, so a friend suggested I try yoga. I started going regularly, and was living in athletic clothing. But my friends and I shared the same sentiment – there was no premium offering for men that merged the functional performance we needed when working out, with the more casual and effortless aesthetic we were looking for. So we set out to create a product line and brand that was inspired by our lifestyle here in coastal Southern California, prioritising versatility, comfort and a consistent, modern fit.

When did you expand into womenswear, and is it now an equal split across the business?

We launched women's in 2018, with our now cult favourite - the Performance Jogger. We have a very even split between men’s and women’s. Vuori was always inspired by our community, and women were just as much a part of that as men, so our intention was always to grow into a dual gender brand.

For women, our best sellers are the Performance Jogger and Daily Legging. For men, we have the Kore Short and Ponto Performance Pant.

What has been your personal highlight from the past nine years since starting Vuori?

Our first purchase order from REI [US outdoor retailer Recreational Equipment, Inc.] was a big highlight at a time when we struggled to get the attention of other retailers. Pivoting our distribution strategy to DTC first and learning from our customers to find the right path forward for Vuori. Launching women's and seeing the tremendous response across both genders.

There have been so many fun moments that I am really proud of, but the thing that I really love about Vuori is that I get to come to work everyday and do what I love, alongside people that I love doing it with. That is something I am eternally grateful for and will never cease to inspire [me].

You opened a store in London last August. What made you choose the UK as your first international retail location, and what has the response been?

London is such an iconic fashion market and the British have been very influential in the history of our category, being an early adopter, if not the originator of the tracksuit. The UK shares a common passion for living an active, healthy lifestyle and they have a sophistication that is timeless and classic – a perfect match for Vuori. We have seen a great response thus far and are excited to continue introducing Vuori to more people, with our second store in the market hopefully coming soon.

What are your upcoming plans for brick and mortar?

Our primary focus will continue to be on the US market with quite a few new stores planned over the coming years. With that said, we are excited to plant seeds in key markets across the UK and Asia, with our first pop up in Shanghai this summer and our first store in Seoul this autumn.

Vuori Autumn 2023

Vuori was recently valued as a $4bn [£3.1bn] business. How did you reach this point?

Numbers, while worthy of celebration from time to time, tell such a small part of the story. Vuori is successful because we focus on the right things day in and day out – making great products and being in great relationships with each other, our customers, vendors and all stakeholders. We are equally focused on the inner workings of our business as we are the brand that our customers experience. Fostering a great culture where we prioritise more than the bottom line, building the business responsibly and always doing the right thing for our customer.

Tagsactivewear athleisure bliss blend california joe kudla start up vuori