Ciara and Russell Wilson on Building an Apparel Empire With Love, Respect and Care

“Love, respect and care” reads like a mantra for harrowing times. The words are also the inspiration behind power couple Ciara and Russell Wilson's freshly minted fashion enterprise, The House of LR&C. The name is apt, given the new venture arrives after a year with a global pandemic, social protests triggered by the murder of George Floyd, more grim news on the environment and a high-stakes presidential election. "It's been the most difficult year to possibly do this,” Wilson told Adweek. “There's been so much tragedy, there's so much pain, so much hurt, and I think that was even more of a reason why we had to do this.” A family affair Launched in late 2020 after more than a year in development, The House of LR&C serves as the parent company—and one-stop ecommerce shop—for the power couple’s fashion brands. They have an additional two labels so far and are launching another women's line at an undisclosed point in the future. In a perfect world, we create pieces that speak to everyone.Ciara, singer, songwriter, entrepreneur For now, labels at The House of LR&C include Good Man Brand, which Wilson started four years ago as a source of aspirational modern essentials for men. "One of the reasons why I created Good Man Brand [was] because I felt like there was a missing opportunity for men," he said. “A lot of us know how to dress up in a suit and tie and look halfway decent. Or, alternatively, don a pair of Nike shorts and shoes. But we don't really know how to do that mid-range game.” In December, they added Human Nation, a sustainable, inclusive streetwear line targeting Gen Z. "In a perfect world, we create pieces that speak to everyone," Ciara said, noting the intent is to offer apparel for not only people of all shapes, sizes and colors but that also meets wide-ranging daily needs, such as the gym, business meetings and date nights. While the lines are distinct, Wilson said they all share a core identity. “It's still part of this concept around love, respect and care,” he added. “And that's been the coolest part about what we're really building and truly being that one-stop shop.” Sustainability In addition, to love, respect and care, the lines share a sustainable element as well. Ciara noted she wanted to "just make dope designs," but continued that "it can't be just that. There has to be something more to fashion than just the fashion itself.” That’s why Good Man Brand and Human Nation are also sustainable across the product lifecycle, including design, manufacturing, packaging and transportation, Wilson said. For example, the packaging is 100% recyclable or compostable. What’s more, Ciara said the clothes don’t need to be washed as frequently because of the technology they use. And that's important, she noted, because without the sustainability element, "we're throwing ourselves out here as another fashion brand." The pair hopes this will help the brands connect with younger consumers. "I think if you look at this Gen Z audience in particular, this culture is very involved and active and interactive and curious and they really communicate," Ciara said. Helping others But The House of LR&C, like the Good Man Brand, also includes a charitable component. It donates 3% of proceeds to the pair's Why Not You Foundation, a nonprofit focused on poverty, education and youth empowerment. “‘Why not you?' was something that my father used to say,” Wilson has said. It also helps set the brands apart. This desire to help others is arguably reflected in the name LR&C itself, which doubles as Love, Russell & Ciara. "We really wanted to do something that was not only super fashionable and cool and could fit everybody, but also [we] wanted to build a fashion house that could actually make a difference and give back," Wilson added. It takes a team Russell Wilson and Ciara have teamed up with Christine Day, former CEO of Lululemon, to create LR&C. But Wilson and Ciara aren’t alone in this venture. The group of executives who co-founded The House of LR&C includes Christine Day, the former co-president of Starbucks, who also guided athleisure giant Lululemon from $270 million in net revenue to $1.37 billion between 2008 and 2013 as CEO. Also on the team are CMO Nancy Richardson, former head of digital and brand strategy at Lululemon, and Scott Bonomo, who worked with Wilson on Good Man Brand and has extensive experience in merchandising and design from his days at Nordstrom. Meanwhile, Therese Hayes heads sustainability, a role she handled at Lululemon in addition to directing communications. "I think that on any team, it's not just about the one or two people, it's about everybody and who you have on your team,” Wilson said. "The one way to make a real difference is having people alongside you who know how to do it and have done it before … and we have people who have done it before in a big, big way.” How Fashion Brands Can Achieve Inclusion Through Design