Shannon Wilson

Shannon Wilson is a Canadian fashion designer, businesswoman, and philanthropist. She is best known for her former role as lead designer at yoga-apparel company Lululemon Athletica,[1] where she designed some of the company’s most successful products – including the groove pants and logo hoodie. She remains a mentor for the current designers at the company. Recently, she founded Kit and Ace,[2] a technical luxury apparel company,[3] and was the company's creative director. Wilson created "technical cashmere" for Kit and Ace, which is cashmere blended with varying combinations of spandex, cotton and rayon to make it machine washable.[4]

For the curler, see Shannon Aleksic.

Early life and education

Wilson received her BFA in Fashion Design from the University of Victoria.[5]

Business

In the summer of 2014, Wilson and her stepson JJ Wilson founded Kit and Ace, a luxury T-shirt retailer made with a proprietary cashmere blend. The first studio pop-up location opened in Vancouver, British Columbia in July, 2014. She also co-founded the meditation blog, whil.com, with her husband Chip Wilson. In July 2014, the blog’s assets were sold to entrepreneur Joe Burton. Chip and Shannon are the lead investors in the new whil (a full service digital health & wellness platform focused on bringing mindfulness to the world) launching in March 2015.[6] The website launched in 2013.

Philanthropy

In 2007, along with her husband, she established imagine1day, a non-profit organization committed to bringing primary education to 80 percent of children in Ethiopia by 2030.[7][8] In 2012 the Wilson family donated $1.5 million to the Vancouver Biennale for the specific purpose of gifting “A-maze-ing Laughter” to the City of Vancouver.[9] "A-maze-ing Laughter" is a metal sculpture designed by Yue Minjun and currently sits in Morton Park in Vancouver, British Columbia.[10]

Wilson and her husband are leading sponsors of the annual Child Run. The Child Run is the largest family fun run in Vancouver, with a 5K for runners and walkers on a scenic route through Queen Elizabeth Park and a 1K fun run, followed by a carnival celebration. Proceeds support British Columbia's Children's Hospital and their fight against childhood cancer. This year, 2014, the run had over 6,000 participants and raised over $1 million.[11]

In 2013, Wilson made her first philanthropic endeavor when she and her husband pledged $12 million to launch the Chip and Shannon Wilson School of Design at Kwantlen Polytechnic University (Richmond campus). The school will break ground in Fall 2013 and will include new teaching studios, gallery space for student exhibitions and a “usability lab” where students can design, prototype and market product concepts.[12] The school is scheduled to open in 2015 and is expected to increase the overall number of design students by 57 percent.[13]

Awards and honours

In 2015, Wilson and her husband, Chip Wilson, received an honorary doctorate from Kwantlen Polytechnic University.[14] In 2014, Wilson received an honorary doctorate from the Emily Carr University of Art and Design.[15]

Personal life

Wilson currently resides in Vancouver, British Columbia with her children and husband, Chip Wilson, co-founder of Lululemon.

References
  1. Chip Wilson's Design Made Lululemon A Winner "Investors.com" June 8, 2012
  2. "Kit and Ace: Smart, Easy to Love, and Made to Last Apparel for Men and Women. | Kit and Ace". www.kitandace.com.
  3. Lululemon Founder's Wife, Son Launch New Clothing Line In Vancouver “Huffington Post” August 6, 2014
  4. Reprints, Susan Berfield susanberfield. "Lululemon's Founding Family Gets Revenge With Cashmere". Bloomberg.com. Retrieved 2016-01-29.
  5. Lululemon Founder Named UVic's Distinguished Entrepreneur of the Year “Ring.uvic.ca” January 27, 2012
  6. WHERE THERE’S A WILL... “VitaminDaily.com” March 13, 2013
  7. Imagine That “WomensAdventureMagazine.com” March 4, 2011
  8. HANDS ON PHILANTHROPIC ACTION: BUILDING SCHOOLS IN ETHIOPIA WITH IMAGINE1DAY “ecosalon.com” May 23, 2012
  9. CHIP AND SHANNON WILSON’S A-MAZE-ING GIFT TO THE PEOPLE OF VANCOUVER, LAUGHTER CELEBRATION AND FREEZE FLASH PHOTO "InsideVancouver.ca" August 9, 2013
  10. Yue Minjun gives Vancouver the last laugh “TheGlobeandMail.com” July 23, 2012
  11. "Global News: Child Run 2014". Retrieved 2014-05-27.
  12. $12M donation from Lululemon founders helps launch new Chip and Shannon Wilson School of Design at Kwantlen "VancouverSun.com" December 7, 2012
  13. Partnership designed for continued success at KPU “Newsroom.gov.bc.ca” December 7, 2012
  14. "Chip & Shannon Wilson to receive honorary degrees from KPU | KPU". Archived from the original on 2015-05-25. Retrieved 2015-05-25.
  15. "Lululemon founder Chip Wilson receiving honorary doctorate from Emily Carr University of Art + Design | Georgia Straight Vancouver's News & Entertainment Weekly". The Georgia Straight. April 24, 2014.
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