Vuori
Californian-inspired performance clothing
Vuori makes premium performance apparel inspired by the active Coastal California lifestyle; an integration of fitness, surf, sport, and art. Breaking down the boundaries of traditional activewear, we are a new perspective on performance apparel. Founded by Joe Kudla in 2013, it is based in San Diego.
Vuori was founded in 2013 by Joe Kudla in Encinitas, California. Kudla, a former investment banker and outdoor enthusiast, started the brand with the goal of creating activewear that could seamlessly transition from performance to everyday life.
The idea behind Vuori was to provide comfortable, functional, and stylish activewear for various activities, from yoga and running to casual wear. Kudla was inspired by his love for the outdoors and the active lifestyle of Southern California.
Vuori focuses on using high-quality, sustainable materials in their products. They incorporate performance-enhancing features into their designs while ensuring that the clothing remains fashionable and versatile.
The brand has gained popularity for its commitment to sustainability, using eco-friendly fabrics and implementing environmentally conscious practices in their manufacturing processes.
Since its inception, Vuori has grown and gained a dedicated following, attracting people who appreciate activewear that not only performs well but also reflects a commitment to ethical and sustainable practices.
Kuala struggled to find support for his Vuori in the early days. Brands like Allbirds and Glossier were growing rapidly with DTC models, and billion dollar valuations. VCs told him, that he wasn’t being disruptive enough. But he stuck to a model of finding premium channel partners, and focus on profitability.
In a recent interview with Fast Company, Kudla reflected “A lot of those startup founders saw their businesses though a tech lens, whether that was selling new kinds of products online or using AI. All of this hooked tech investors. Meanwhile, we were just focused on trying to create really excellent workout shorts.”
But eight years later, Kudla is now grateful that investors weren’t eager to fund Vuori. It forced him to stay focused on profitability, rather than growth. By year two, Vuori was already in the black, which is very different from many other DTC brands, which have struggled to turn a profit.
And in the end, investors began to take note of Vuori’s healthy balance sheet, and came knocking. In 2021, Japanese investor Softbank poured $400 million into Vuori, landing it a whopping $4 billion valuation. Now, Vuori is headed towards an IPO, which could come as soon as mid-2024.