Luxury Hunger Games-Approved Activewear Line Lands in Vancouver

The London-based Lucas Hugh is now available at Kitsilano’s TurF.

It’s hard to believe that there was time when we were debating if leggings are pants. In Vancouver, that conversation has long shifted from whether or not pairs of stretchy black spandex are legitimate articles of clothing to which pair of stretchy black spandex (the ones with mesh panels or without?) are the best fit for a post-spin brunch. That’s largely thanks to the locally born Lululemon, whose yogawear helped make athleisure a thing. Across the pond, however, it was Lucas Hugh doing that work.

Launched in London, U.K., the luxury women’s activewear line offers much of what Vancouver’s athletic (and wannabe athletic) set will be familiar with: moisture-wicking, compression-fabric leggings, tanks and sports bras designed to facilitate movement while flattering the body. The brand prioritizes quality fabrics and construction, and has a futuristic quality to it—think tops adorned with metallic details, slimming satin catsuits and patterned leggings inspired by obsidian rock formations that could pass as part of a superhero’s uniform—so much so that Lucas Hugh supplied the athletic attire for the cast of The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.

And now, further cementing Vancouver as the athleisure capital of Canada, the label has chosen Kitsilano’s TurF as its sole Canadian stockist. This also marks the first time that Vancouverites will be able to get up-close and personal with Lucas Hugh’s high-performance garb before making a purchase. (It was previously only available online in Canada.)

“Women’s activewear used to be an afterthought,” says Anjhe Mules, a New Zealand–born designer who crafted swimwear for brands like Marc Jacobs and Alexander McQueen before founding Lucas Hugh in 2010. (The line is named after Mules’s grandfathers.) “Men’s stuff was really cool—you could get red and yellow and all these cool colours and prints—but women’s was just pink and purple. And it was really dull.”

At TurF, shoppers can browse leggings and sports bras from Lucas Hugh’s spring/summer 2019 collection—many of them adorned with rainbow-hued panels (from $185—and perfect for Pride!)—as well as soft, technical-knit items (from $80) from the brand’s core collection, which Mules says is ideal for yoga and pilates. There are also stretch-satin shorts and bomber jackets (from $220), which are designed with boxing in mind but would work (and look) just as great for running errands around town.

Lucas Hugh looks right at home at TurF, a hybrid fitness studio, eatery and retail space that carries technical, body-positive labels like Outdoor Voices and Londre Bodywear. Mules says Vancouver is a natural fit for the brand. “So many people here are into fitness and the outdoors,” she says, “and Lululemon is from here, which is inspiring.”