A Vancouver e-commerce seller making inroads into the Canadian fashion industry will call Coquitlam home over the holiday shopping season.
Smash + Tess has announced it is opening a pop up shop on Nov. 19 at Coquitlam Centre to provide Tri-City residents with their comfy rompers, a rotating line-up of complimentary brands, a “Romper Runway" and limited-edition product launches.
”Opening our first owned retail space is a major milestone for Smash + Tess.” said Ashley Freeborn, co-founder and CEO in a press release. “As an e-commerce-led business, we were excited by the challenge of bringing our brand experience to life in a retail environment.”
Smash + Tess is a Vancouver designed- and North American made-brand created by mom and daughter duo, Teresa and Ashley Freeborn, and best friend Mercedes LaPorte.
The company started five years ago marketing its brand of comfy rompers for all members of the family and has generated interest among media outlets such as Vogue, Forbes and the Globe and Mail.
Normally, associated with pyjamas, these stretchy rompers made of sustainable rayon from a bamboo and cotton blend can be worn as a fashion statement and a collaboration with celebrity designer Jillian Harris is in the collection.
But one challenge in planning the Coquitlam pop-up has been the notable absence of mannequins larger than XL, which is a standard size 14, according to the press release.
To give women a glimpse of how they might look in the comfy loungewear, which go up to size 4X in the pop up, Smash + Tess will be showcasing their Visual Size Guide to support customers in finding their perfect-sized romper.
The style guide enables shoppers to more closely determine their size by the body shape, height and weight, of the women modelling the rompers.
Selling comfortable clothes is not the only aim of the company, however.
It notes fundraising efforts benefit Rainbow Railroad, the Marsha P. Johnson Institute, WHO COVID-19 Global Response Fund, Black Lives Matter, NAACP, Black Woman in Motion, Black Legal Action Centre, Alliance of Moms and BC Women’s Hospital, among others.
Smash + Tess’s 3,500 sq. ft. pop-up shop at the mall will be located across from lululemon and Aritzia,
It is currently hiring for seasonal store associates.
