At every Lolë preview, design director Andy Thê-Anh and I catch up about our past season of running. This week, at the FW16 preview, I took the opportunity to talk to Thê-Anh (who’s been with Lolë since 2011) a little more about his love of running.
His preferred distance is the half-marathon, which he typically races three times a year (in Lachine, Oka, and the Montreal Rock n Roll Half-marathon). “The whole 42.2, it’s too much for me, so much training,” he says of the marathon distance. He’d love to race the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Half-marathon, he tells me, but every year he has sales meetings that conflict with the fall race.
By Karen Kwan
When did you start running?
In 2011. I started slowly and never thought I could run. The first 20 minutes was hell! But after that I was able to pick it up, from 5k to 10k to 21.
What do you love about running?
I think it’s relaxing. When I have a stressful day, I leave the office and I go for a run; it’s helped me a lot. I’m not a person who breathes nicely, so running helps me do that because you have to breathe, make your breathing slow and regular.
Is there a design element you are particularly proud of in your designs for the Lolë running gear?
Every season I’m more a concept guy, the overall look; yes, I pay attention to detail and think about “what is this for? How this going to will this cut emphasize the body?” But it’s not about, “I have to put this on every item because it’s my trademark.”
You design women’s fitness gear, but for men’s gear, is there something you wish for in your workout clothes?
The big brands are stepping it up, printed leggings for men, for example. They’re catching up on the style side, in a masculine way, toned down colours, for example. We are in looking at starting a men’s collection, I can’t say when yet as it’s still in discussion.”
Karen Kwan is a regular iRun fashion and travel contributor, and you’ll find her running fashion posts every Friday on Instagram. She contributes to a number of publications and you can also follow her travel and running adventures at Health & Swellness.
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