Lol
The name, which stands for “Live Out Loud Everyday,” was hatched by Evelyn Trempe and husband ric D’Anjou, who had launched the ski apparel brand Orage in 1989. In 2000, they noticed an opportunity in the outdoor market. “The clothing at that time was very masculine,” says Trempe. “It was all about performance and not look.” She knew they could make more fashion-forward high-tech clothes for women. Two years later, Lol was launched. The company used its contacts at Sporting Life in Canada and REI in the U.S. to get the line onto store shelves.Today, Lol puts out around 350 styles a year, including yoga basics but also outerwear and dresses. In 2010, Trempe and her team launched the first Atelier Lol store in Montreal. Now there are over 50most of them in Canada, with several in France and the U.S. They also sell at many other retailers and online.Trempe continues to push for what she considers Lol’s key principles: technical sophistication, femininity, versatility, and comfort. As an avid skier, cyclist and runner, she ensures the company is creating fashions for women like herself. “We really want women to feel good inside and out.”(Related: 6 Canadian Sports Bras for Bigger Busts)