Left on Friday is changing the Olympic uniform game.
The swimwear brand, co-founded by former Lululemon executives Laura Low Ah Kee and Shannon Savage, partnered with Volleyball Canada to design the national team’s uniforms for the 2024 World Tour and Paris Olympics — a responsibility they didn’t take lightly.
The top priority was ensuring that the gear be both comfortable and performance-ready, which is why the brand worked closely with Team Canada stars Melissa Humana-Paredes and Brandie Wilkerson.
“They are world class, top of their game athletes, and they also care about how they look,” Savage tells PEOPLE of the brand ambassadors. “We love that they bring style and fashion to the court, and they inspire young athletes. They are also all-around great humans representing different cultures, and we’re proud to be working with them.”
On Thursday, August 8, Humana-Paredes and Wilkerson led Team Canada to victory against the Swiss team in the semifinals. On Friday, they will play for gold in the finals.
Brandie Wilkerson and Melissa Humana-Paredes for Left on Sunday.
Coliena Rentmeester
The Left on Friday designs mark the first one-shoulder uniforms in beach volleyball, which Savage says “allows each player’s serving arm to be free from straps and have full range of movement.”
The founders also saw a unique opportunity to shine a light on Team Canada. “This is Canada’s moment on the world stage, to perform with the globe watching them,” Savage says. “We want them to be memorable and to stand out against the crowd.”
Brandie Wilkerson for Left on Friday.
Coliena Rentmeester
Low Ah Kee adds that they wanted to incorporate the brand’s trademark bold colors and flattering silhouettes.
“We were excited to bring this ethos to life for a real Canadian moment by creating unique combinations of red (to honor our country’s flag color) in slightly unexpected ways,” she explains. “For example, rather than pairing white with classic red, we did white and caramel color-blocked and used bright red writing for the text on the uniform… It was so much fun to play with Canadian-inspired colors that will definitely bring energy to the court.”
Brandie Wilkerson and Melissa Humana-Paredes for Left on Friday.
Coliena Rentmeester
Having its designs showcased at the Olympics has been hugely impactful for the independent swimwear brand, whose ecommerce site is powered by Shopify.
“For some brands, this influx of volume would overwhelm their store — but not on Shopify,” Shopify president Harley Finkelstein said in a statement shared with PEOPLE. “Shopify is a platform that was built to handle the demand of major events like The Olympics and is proud to be powering Left on Friday during this exciting moment.”
Thanks to the Olympics stage, Left on Friday has seen significant traffic bumps to their website, with organic search up by 59% and overall international traffic up 136%.
“Left on Friday is all about creating fashion and function into one garment in the most premium way,” Savage shares. “This Olympic moment is exactly that. The best in the world athletes are choosing to wear our product to perform at the highest level on the world stage…. our athletes are amazing and we couldn’t be more proud seeing them in Left on Friday.”
