When members of the Canadian women含羞草研究社檚 beach volleyball team take to the sand for their opening match of the Paris Summer Olympics on July 27, there will be an impossible-to-overlook B.C. connection.

While none of the players are from B.C., they含羞草研究社檒l be wearing uniforms designed by Left On Friday, which was founded by Ashcroft-born Shannon Savage and Laura Low Ah Kee, whom Savage met when they worked together at Lululemon.

Savage says she took an interest in sewing when she was a student at Ashcroft Secondary School.

含羞草研究社淚t was always fun. We were crafty as a family, and my mom made our clothes when I was young, so I had an understanding that this was a skill or talent people had, which was cool.含羞草研究社�

Savage thought she might become an architect, and did a year of building engineering at BCIT before dropping out and doing a year of stagecraft at a college in New Westminster. It included costume design, which she found interesting and creative, so she tried to figure out what she wanted to do.

含羞草研究社淭here was a program at Kwantlen Polytechnic that featured business, marketing, creating products, and designing for niche markets. I looked into it and thought it was incredible, so I put together a portfolio and got accepted.含羞草研究社�

That was Savage含羞草研究社檚 door into the apparel industry. She stuck it out for the 含羞草研究社渧ery intensive含羞草研究社� four-year program, which was good preparation for getting into the apparel business.

含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 very gruelling. I worked at a couple of apparel companies in action sports, like snowboarding and skateboarding. A friend had started working at Lululemon, and said interesting things happened there, and I wanted to stay in action sports, so I put in an application and started there in 2005.含羞草研究社�

She worked there for more than a decade, and during that time met Low Ah Kee. 含羞草研究社淲e became pretty good friends, and identified a niche market no one else was doing: high performance and high fashion. We both loved the water and the ocean; I lifeguarded at the Ashcroft pool.含羞草研究社�

Savage left Lululemon after having her first child, and Low Ah Kee left a year later.

含羞草研究社淲e started doing research and development into whether we could get this project off the ground. We started by having fun with it, then realized it wasn含羞草研究社檛 just a fun project; we could do this for real.含羞草研究社�

After a year of research and development, the pair launched Left On Friday in 2018. Their designs blended form and function, and in 2022 they began a partnership with the Canadian women含羞草研究社檚 beach volleyball team. Savage says the partnership came about very organically.

含羞草研究社淎 member of the national team reached out to us and said she had found us online and seen our product. She had already tried our product and loved it, so she reached out to us to see if we had an ambassador program and could sponsor her in some way. We said we could support her through giving her product, so she wear-tested it and gave us feedback.含羞草研究社�

Lululemon had been sponsoring the women含羞草研究社檚 beach volleyball team, and when that deal ended Savage and Low Ah Kee含羞草研究社檚 contact reached out to them and told them to get in touch. Savage says they realized that the time frame of the sponsorship would take them to the Paris Olympics, which she describes as 含羞草研究社渁mazing.含羞草研究社�

含羞草研究社淲e含羞草研究社檙e young as a company, so we were flattered that the team wanted us as their sponsor. The team wasn含羞草研究社檛 being told they had to wear this apparel; they were asking for it, because they loved it. We said we含羞草研究社檇 do it, and find a way to sponsor the team.含羞草研究社�

In the two years leading up to the Paris Olympics, Left On Friday outfitted the team for an entire year of training apparel, which was custom-printed with the Volleyball Canada and Left On Friday logos. Then, as the team moved through the Commonwealth and Pan-Am Games, Left On Friday provided them with specific uniforms for playing in. 含羞草研究社淢oving into the Olympic year we created new uniforms for the national team. We wanted them to stand out.含羞草研究社�

Savage, who does all the product design, says it含羞草研究社檚 a 含羞草研究社渕ind-blowing含羞草研究社� moment.

含羞草研究社淲e got to work with the team and heard their feedback, knowing they were going to have this big moment. We worked with them to understand what styles they like. There含羞草研究社檚 a one-shouldered design they love for serving, so we ran with that and created something unique for this year.含羞草研究社�

Savage adds that she loves the partnership with the team. 含羞草研究社淭he athletes are amazing, and we love to see our product worn by them and put to use. We含羞草研究社檝e launched an ambassador program and work with other athletes in Canada and the U.S., so we含羞草研究社檙e looking to see what the future brings.含羞草研究社�

She also loves the idea that Left On Friday is supporting the team.

含羞草研究社淭hey含羞草研究社檙e elite athletes who含羞草研究社檝e worked so hard to get to the level they含羞草研究社檙e at, and it含羞草研究社檚 an honour to do this, so we sponsor them. Their entire life is being an athlete. They can含羞草研究社檛 hold down a job as well, so sponsorship is important for them as athletes.

含羞草研究社淏rands want to be associated with teams as long as the brand is aligned, and it含羞草研究社檚 good exposure for the brand. It goes both ways, because we get to promote these athletes.含羞草研究社�

Savage says that this is a really exciting year for Left On Friday含羞草研究社檚 growth.

含羞草研究社淲e含羞草研究社檙e watching these women. And they含羞草研究社檙e so good. They含羞草研究社檙e really in the running to be top of the world. We hope they含羞草研究社檙e going to get there, and we含羞草研究社檒l be cheering them along every step of the way.含羞草研究社�

Left On Friday含羞草研究社檚 products can be found at Turf (2041 West 4th Avenue, Vancouver); you can also check out their products at .