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Head Trendsetters
photo: Julie Langenegger Lachance
Ciele, founded 2014, Montreal Ciele may be young in the biz—it’s less than two years old—but people are taking notice of the brand’s hip technical caps made for running. “We’re a very small business in an industry run by giants,” says Jeremy Bresnen (left), co-founder of Ciele along with Mike Giles. “And I think we’ve done a fairly good job of getting the word out. People think we’re a lot bigger than we actually are.” In reality, it’s just Bresnen and Giles in the main office in Montreal. From there they connect and work with a grass-roots network of photographers, specialty retailers, regional sales reps and brand ambassadors across North America to bring the Ciele brand to life. “We call ourselves an athletic brand with a focus on running,” says Bresnen, who previously owned a skateboard shop and pursued the Ciele project after picking up running and discovering a lack of hats that he’d want to run in. “But we’re well aware that people are using the hats for a lot of other things.” And that’s the secret behind Ciele’s three simple, stylish designs: the GoCap, FastCap and TRLCap. It’s a hat you’d wear outside of running, to a coffee shop, out with friends, or even at the office (if the dress code allows). Because if it’s one thing the brand is trying to communicate, it’s that running is a lifestyle, not just a sport. Ciele will continue to create different variations of the color-blocked ’80s and ’90s turned modern, outdoor-inspired caps. But Bresnen and Giles are also looking to expand to other services. Giles hints that along with launching a new website, they’re working on a new Ciele social app that’ll be ready by the end of August.
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4/13/16 10:55 AM