Vuori Picks London’s Regent Street for First International Flagship

LONDON — Vuori has opened its first international flagship on Regent Street in London, and founder Joe Kudla can’t quite believe it’s happening.

It was just 10 years ago that Kudla was in his garage, dreaming up designs for comfortable, high-performance, no-logo clothing that could look good in the gym, the great outdoors, and the city streets of Southern California.

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Today, the former CPA and math whiz is sitting atop a company that’s valued at $4 billion and expanding, at pace, around the world.

He’s still getting used to the idea. “I can’t believe I’m sitting here talking about opening an international flagship in London,” said Kudla from the library of the NoMad Hotel in Covent Garden.

“But it’s time, we’re ready, and the U.K. is a very important market for Vuori. It’s a fashion capital, and a gateway to the world,” he added.

Vuori’s choice of Regent Street was a canny one. The long shopping thoroughfare has become a hub for premium athleisure clothing, with brands including Gymshark, Alo Yoga, Lululemon and On Running all located on the street.

Sweaty Betty and Niketown are also in the neighborhood.

The exterior of the new flagship.
The exterior of the new flagship.

Kudla and his team aren’t new to London, and have been laying the groundwork for the new-concept flagship.

There is already a Vuori in Covent Garden, which opened in 2022, and the athleisure brand has formed strong partnerships with fitness studios such as Barry’s Bootcamp. It has also been making inroads with the local community, which Vuori tries to do wherever it opens.

Next spring a third London store will open on the King’s Road, in the former L.K. Bennett space. It will cater to a local audience that’s completely different from the one in Covent Garden or Regent Street.

Kudla sees the flagship, at 83-85 Regent Street in the former Fabletics space, as his window on an ever-growing world and said he wanted to bring “coastal SoCal to London, with an elevated aesthetic.”

Inside the new flagship.
Inside the new flagship.

The store spans 4,000 square feet over two levels. The spaces are airy and open with natural stone, a neutral color palette and plants. “I wanted it to feel like a sanctuary,” said Kudla.

Materials include quartz, concrete, washed oak and natural marble in earthy, neutral tones. The plants are housed in a glass atrium with a skylight adding to the SoCal allure.

The flagship carries the full range of men’s and women’s apparel across the leisure, active and lifestyle categories. Vuori was founded as a menswear brand, which is why that collection is located in prime position on the ground floor. Womenswear is on the first floor.