Kit and Ace lays off staff in Vancouver

The Toronto Queen St. W. location of Kit and Ace is seen in this undated photo provided to The Canadian Press

TORONTO -- Kit and Ace, the clothing brand launched by the wife and son of Lululemon founder Dennis (Chip) Wilson, has laid off about 10 per cent of its head office staff.

In a statement, the company said it laid off 35 people at its Vancouver head office effective last Thursday. The company did not answer questions about how many employees remain with Kit and Ace.

JJ Wilson and Shannon Wilson co-founded the venture in 2014.

The company has 11 stores in Canada and 33 in the United States, as well as eight international locations in Australia and the U.K. It also has several pop-up shops in those countries and one in Japan.

CEO Paul Wilson, who is not related to the founders, said many of the company's startup initiatives have been completed and it now is getting ready to focus on other areas in the year ahead.

Wilson said those being laid off will not be replaced this year, although new positions will continue to be posted.