A pair of 20-year-old young entrepreneurs say their idea to start a business started during a workout and now has turned into a local clothing line they hope will take off like the Escape Movement.
They call it Bay Apparel.
"It started out as just a small idea,' said Kennedy.
"We were working out one day and kind of talking about starting a business and supporting the community," said Adam Kennedy.
Kennedy and his partner Kobe Seguin came up with a unique clothing line early in 2020 and have just recently released their seventh clothing line in time for winter and Christmas.
"It kind of happened when we were locked up and figured how we would do it with all the restrictions so we just kept planning and planning and we turned to what we are doing now," said Seguin.
The line is made to suit outdoor activities in the north. Seguin admits they got some inspiration from the Escape Movement; the local line with the feather that shut down a few years ago.
"When we were younger it was huge, the Escape Movement represented North Bay - you would drive all over the North and see stickers of it everywhere and I loved that idea," admitted Seguin.
Kennedy and Seguin believe their clothing line exhibits their passion for fashion and the outdoors.
They hope customers identify with Bay Apparel's northern roots.
"One of our ideas was to incorporate North Bay as much as possible; we wanted to outline its beauties as much as the Escape Movement tried to do as well," said Kennedy.
"We wanted to continue with that and that is what we have been doing ever since."
But the two locals also want to help the community with their brand. Last year they donated close to 100 hoodies to the local homeless shelter.
"With every line, we like to support a different cause around the city and hopefully people will keep supporting us so that we can keep supporting our community and donating that way," said Seguin.
See related: Hoodies for the homeless
Most recently Bay Apparel has donated to families in need, the youth indigenous centre, and the crisis centre in North Bay.
"I think communities all need help in certain ways and we have both grown up in this one," said Seguin.
"It has been beneficial to us in so many ways, the schools, the sports organizations that we have been a part of - we have always been treated so well in this community and we both grew up in families that always gave back. They have ingrained it in us to give back as well so we try to do that as much as possible."
