Left on Friday founders Laura Low Ah Kee and Shannon Savage get their best ideas from the water. They both enjoy sports like surfing and kiteboarding, and it was during a conversation in a hot tub that they came up with a million-dollar idea: cute, activewear swimsuits that work for both sports and hangouts with friends.
Laura and Shannon were the perfect people to make that idea happen. They had more than 20 years of combined experience working on products for the activewear company Lululemon. “Nobody is applying the knowledge of fabric and fit we knew from our Lululemon days to the swimsuit industry,” Laura says.
Here’s a glimpse at their entrepreneurial journey.
Learning in a corporate environment
Even though they continued to discuss striking out on their own, it took Laura and Shannon six years after their hot tub conversation to leave Lululemon and launch their brand, Left on Friday.
Explaining why staying put at Lululemon for those six years was the right move for them, Shannon says, “There’s so much value to just going out and cutting your teeth first and making a mistake on other people’s dime.” She’s grateful for those years at Lululemon, since both she and Laura were able to develop relationships and learn the apparel business inside and out.
Creating a fabric
When Laura and Shannon did decide to start Left on Friday, they brainstormed what they wanted and needed in a swimsuit. Many of the issues with other swimsuits came from the fabric, so they created their own.
They set four distinct criteria for their swimwear: durability, buttery softness to give it a luxurious feel, compressive fit in both wet and dry conditions, and coverage that maintains modesty when wet. Laura and Shannon sourced and tested numerous fabrics—taking samples on trips to Hawaii and getting feedback from friends—before landing on what they now call the "Smoothing Dream Fabric."
Getting early validation and feedback
Laura says there was one day early on when the partners got the validation they needed to keep building the business: “Somebody went to the change room, tried on a bathing suit, and started crying because of the way it made them feel.”
Swimsuits are personal, intimate items, and Laura and Shannon put a lot of care into the design of the products. For the first couple of years, both founders personally responded to customer emails. They even allowed customers to set up appointments to come to their houses to try on the swimsuits.
Collaborating with Canada Beach Volleyball
Laura and Shannon’s attention to detail is evident in the Left on Friday suits. Professional beach volleyball players loved the brand, and Left on Friday eventually became Canada’s national team sponsor. The company made kits that the athletes wore in competition, including at the 2024 Paris Summer Olympic Games.
Left on Friday worked with Canadian beach volleyball stars Brandie Wilkerson and Melissa Humana-Paredes on custom one-shoulder tops that had a strap over their non-dominant arm, so they could serve unimpeded. “It resulted in these like total standout uniforms that completely came from player feedback and guidance along the way,” Shannon says.
Brandie and Melissa won silver medals at the Olympics, putting the Left on Friday suits on the world stage. “When they were playing in that final game at the Olympics beside the Eiffel Tower, they looked truly incredible,” Laura says.
To learn more about Left on Friday’s designs and fabric, listen to Laura and Shannon’s full interview on Shopify Masters.
