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Knix opened its second retail location, a shop in Toronto's West Queen West, this fall.

With the intimate apparel world in the midst of a shakeup, new brands such as Canada’s Knix are playing a key role in its evolution. Knix is a direct-to-consumer intimate apparel company known for comfortable designs for women available online. This fall, it opened its first standalone store in Vancouver followed by a second in downtown Toronto. If the brand’s wildly successful March warehouse sale in Toronto, where shoppers queued up outside, was any indication, it’s clear the demand for permanent retail spaces is there.

Knix CEO Joanna Griffiths founded her company in 2013 with the launch of her Leakproof underwear, an absorbent style featuring a built-in gusset liner. “Six years ago, no one wanted to talk about leak-proof underwear. Now we’re all so curious to try and see how it works,” Griffiths says. Since, she has expanded her offerings to include several bra styles, swimwear, a postpartum collection and Knixteen for the needs of her younger clients. “We’re on this mission to reinvent one product at a time,” she says.

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The stores' colour scheme is meant to mimc a peaceful sunrise or sunset.

The design of Knix’s first two boutiques, located in trendy lifestyle-focused retail hubs in Kitsilano and West Queen West, took inspiration from Knix clients, focusing on curves and round shapes. The stores’ colour scheme features six shades of the colour pink, meant to mimic a peaceful sunrise or sunset and paired with artwork by Toronto artist Leia Bryans. Griffiths wanted the emphasis to be on a clean, minimal design that would feel warm and inviting to customers shopping for intimates.

Knix Store, 2076 W. 4th Ave., Vancouver, 604-336-9261; 630 Queen St. W., Toronto, 416-364-6060, knix.ca.

  • Knix The Every Bodysuit, $95.

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