Fashion has always been a part of Vancouver designer Shadi Ahmadisagheb’s life.
“I was first introduced to fashion through my mom,” Ahmadisagheb told Daily Hive. “She was a home sewer, making all sorts of clothing for me, my sister, and the whole family.
“When I was old enough to understand and choose my clothing, I would request specific silhouettes and designs for my mom to sew for me. Often involving puffy dresses with multiple bows or flowers.”
Ahmadisagheb’s passion for clothing and eye-catching designs has led her to co-found Poplin & Co. with her husband, Antonio Krezic. The pair recently celebrated the opening of their first retail store in East Van.
“Poplin & Co. is a Canadian, woman-owned apparel brand specializing in responsibly made, hand-drawn, printed clothing to make people happy,” explained Krezic, who has a game design background and switched careers to marketing. “We were initially born from a desire to bring more options to men looking for responsibly made, unique printed shirts.”
The fashion brand launched in Spring 2018 and offers a variety of men’s and women’s shirts, shorts, sweaters, tees, dresses, and more. Poplin & Co.’s pieces are colourful, artful, and responsibly made, which has helped them amass a fan base for their apparel, which is found in 65 retail stores across Canada and the US.
Vancouver shoppers can also try them on for size at their brick-and-mortar location at 748 East Broadway.
Poplin & Co./Submitted
“During our six years in business, we always dreamed of opening up a retail store,” said Ahmadisagheb, a Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU) grad. “We wanted to have something tactile that people could experience and a place where we could share our unique story.
“It wasn’t until we started participating in local pop-up markets like Vancouver Etsy Co and Got Craft that we found out just how excited people were about what we were trying to do. We also learned what customers wanted, what we were missing, and what we were doing well. Our wholesale channels are great but invaluable information like this would rarely make its way back to us. This experience gave us the courage to open a store.”
Poplin & Co./Submitted
“We want to use this retail store as a stepping stone, a proof of concept,” added Krezic. “Here we are in full control of our vision. If it works, we aspire to expand our concept to more locations, ship to more countries, and perhaps, down the road, become another great Canadian brand.”
Ahmadisagheb’s fashion journey began at home when she became interested in creating clothing by the time she was in high school.
“I ended up moving to Canada from Iran when I was in my last year of high school. During that year I did a lot of research on fashion schools and finally decided to attend KPU.
“After graduating with my Bachelor of Fashion Design in 2011, I worked for different brands such as Saxx Underwear, Helly Hansen, and Stance.”
The husband-and-wife team, which has self-funded from the beginning, says that their unique prints help them stand out in a crowded marketplace.
Poplin & Co./Submitted
“The main point of difference between us and our competitors is the prints themselves,” said Krezic. “Plenty of companies make printed shirts, but all of them fall back on what we call ‘commercial, safe prints.’ We believe that there is real artistry and a willingness to take risks in our work that we don’t see anywhere in the market.”
Poplin & Co. also shared that they pride themselves in workmanship and quality, obsessing over every detail of the products. The chest pockets on the button-down shirts are perfectly placed so the print design is not interrupted. Shirts are reinforced on pressure points to make them durable.
“We mindfully produce only about 100 to 150 pieces in each style to not only reduce our environmental impact but also provide exclusivity for our customers so they feel like they own something unique,” added Krezic. “All of this artistry, attention to detail, and quality at an attainable price is why we say our products are unmatched.”
Shadi Ahmadisagheb, co-founder of Poplin & Co./Submitted
As the entrepreneurs continue to welcome shoppers into their new store and work on their next designs, they have also taken the time to reflect on their journey.
“It’s crucially important to me that we are a woman-owned, Vancouver apparel brand,” said Ahmadisagheb. “Although we live in an ever-increasingly equal place, we can’t ignore the fact that just here in our city, the three largest apparel brands were started by white men. There needs to be more examples of women apparel owners, especially those of colour, doing something others can relate to.
“My advice for other designers and entrepreneurs would be to make sure you know your market and who you are selling to. Always have a north star and a goal your product should achieve.”
For more information about Poplin & Co., visit its website.
Poplin & Co.
Address: 748 East Broadway, Vancouver
Phone: 778-893-3344