With thoughtful sportswear design in mind, Toronto studio Body of Work created its first collection in spring 2022, redefining what it means to live an active lifestyle and the aesthetic often associated with that appeal.

Its initial batch included classic T-shirt pieces made of high-quality cotton, designed, knitted, dyed, cut, and sewn just an hour outside Toronto. Other collections include sweatshirts, sweatpants, caps, shorts, and accessories.

Dwayne Vatcher and Brittney MacKinnon are the brains behind the project.

Vatcher, a veteran of various athleisure brands, including Reigning Champ, is based in Vancouver and makes high-quality athletic wear. MacKinnon, a former marketing specialist at Canada Goose, brings a basket of skills and perspectives to the business.

Known for authenticity, the Body of Work brand says much of what it makes is handmade; everything is bespoke and designed with a genderless consumer in mind. The company says competition is not its focus. It is to create something that works for as many people as possible.

“This is not the most commercially viable way, but we do what’s good for us,” Vatcher said in an interview with HighSnobiety. “I hope there are people who appreciate it, but we aren’t trying to go out of our way to translate. If you get it, that’s cool. If not, we hope that over time you develop that appreciation. We’re not trying to go mass.

The brand has looked at international markets like Japan as a place to explore growth. The company said the country’s average consumer has an eye for quality.

Moreover, Body of Work’s laid-back aesthetic makes the offerings approachable to customers looking for something thoughtful yet toned-down.

“We can’t compare to anyone else. We’re aiming for a different consumer altogether — one that doesn’t even exist yet. People start a brand like, ‘This is who we’re targeting,’ but we’re like, ‘How do we create a customer base around this idea?’”

Its approach is creating a whole new lane for people of different body types craving well-made active wear.

“It’s like, there’s the super hard Nike sportswear perspective, and then there’s poppy, ‘Let’s go run!’ activewear stuff,” Vatcher said in an interview with HighSnobiety. “We want to create something that could draw in an audience like us, easing them into an active lifestyle, inspiring people through details, creating a new context for what a lifestyle brand can be with this sense of ease and refinement.”

Through enrollment in Futurpreneur’s Black Entrepreneur Startup Program, Vatcher and MacKinnon both gained skills that aided them in releasing a follow-up collection, Body of Work’s fall/winter 2022 campaign. Future capsule collections are currently in development with guidance and support from Futurpreneur.

Futurpreneur’s Black Entrepreneur Startup Program is funded by RBC with additional loan financing from BDC. It offers two years of one-on-one mentorship and access to a national network of Black entrepreneurs and community groups.

For Black entrepreneurs between 18 and 39, it launched in March 2021 to support them with access to funding, resources, and support. Click here to sign up.