A Los Angeles-based underwear company founded on eliminating synthetic materials is looking to expand its wholesale footprint in Canada, even as tariff pressures weigh on growth.
KENT, launched in June 2020 by founder and chief executive Stacy Grace, produces plant-based underwear for women and men designed to be compostable at the end of its life. The company sells primarily through its e-commerce website and select U.S. partners, with a smaller but steady presence in Canada.
Grace said the brand was created to address what she viewed as a gap in the sustainable fashion market.
KENT has been collaborating with Montreal-based Gaspard Premier on a Valentine’s Day giveaway.
Focus on organic, plant-based materials
“We focus on 100% organic, 0% synthetic underwear for women and men. Everything in the garments is plant-based, so the garments themselves are actually compostable at end of life. When you’re done with your underwear, usually it just gets thrown in the trash, but with ours, you can actually compost them.”
Grace, who previously worked in sustainable fashion, said she was motivated by the continued use of synthetic fibres in the industry.
“I worked in sustainable fashion for a long time and just saw that even the most sustainable brands were still using synthetics, like polyester or nylon, elastin. Those are all petrochemical-based, really horrible for the environment. Even now we’re seeing studies show up that it’s so bad for your skin and your body. Your skin is absorbing a lot of these toxins in those materials.”
The company initially launched with women’s products and later expanded into men’s underwear after a personal experience highlighted what Grace saw as a market opportunity.
“So we started with women, and then when my husband and I were actually trying to have our first baby, his doctor said, ‘Wear all-natural underwear, not too tight,’ and we couldn’t really find anything that he liked. So we introduced men’s, and men’s is actually our bestseller right now, which is interesting.”
Sales channels and Canadian presence
Kent sells primarily online.
“It’s majority through our e-commerce website, but we also do dropship through Nordstrom online, and we’re in a couple of hotels and a few small boutiques. But the majority is still online.”
In Canada, the company has a boutique presence in Vancouver and ships directly to customers.
Grace described the Canadian market as modest but consistent.
“I’d say it’s small but steady. It was growing, and then obviously the tariff situation threw a wrench, as everyone is feeling it. I don’t think the American public realizes how horrible the tariffs are for small businesses. That has kind of slowed down the growth. But we’re hoping to potentially open some accounts in Canada that will increase our footprint from a wholesale perspective.”
She said the company is exploring wholesale relationships to expand its reach.
“Either hotels, spas, or traditional retail.”
Brand collaboration aimed at awareness
Kent is also pursuing brand collaborations as part of its marketing strategy. Grace said a recent partnership with Gaspard Premier began after being approached for a joint promotion.
“He reached out to me to do a collaboration on a giveaway just between our two brands. Then we just got chatting, and I was curious about his brand and how he’s grown. We just kind of connected over the past couple weeks, so pretty recent.”
The collaboration involved a joint social media giveaway.
“We’re just doing a giveaway on Instagram together, where KENT is giving a prize package, his brand’s giving a prize package, and people are entering to win.”
Grace said such initiatives are intended to expand brand awareness.
“I think our brands really complement each other in terms of ethos and aesthetics and customer base. Typically when we do these types of collaborations, it’s to expand our awareness of our brand with new potential customers.”
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