Local athleticwear company Public Myth has shuttered its storefront at 2005 West 4th Avenue in favour of opening a new showroom at its headquarters at 1631 Powell Street.

Now open to the public, the new 800-square-foot space displays Public Myth’s entire collection of women’s workout and casual apparel, which includes high-rise leggings, sports bras, and crop tops starting at $25. The Vancouver-founded and -based brand is known for its locally designed and produced threads, many of which are crafted using biodegradable, pesticide-free bamboo.

During an opening party for the newly launched store, Kerry Pollock, founder of Public Myth, tells the Straight that the move from Kitsilano to East Vancouver will allow the label to more efficiently conduct its online sales, where the majority of its revenue comes from. Taking an airy, upstairs space at the Public Myth office that was previously dedicated to photo and video shoots, the Powell Street showroom is also located only four blocks from the business’s primary manufacturing facility.

“A big part of it is quality,” Pollock says of his decision to design and produce apparel locally. “I think that creating local jobs is very important, too....There are so many people who don’t know who they’re buying from. They don’t know where it’s from.”

A former personal trainer and distributor for an athleticwear label in California, Pollock founded Public Myth in 2007 in an effort to offer fashion-forward garments that effortlessly transition from the gym to real life—what he calls “athleticwear with attitude”. One of the company’s first products was the bamboo pocket legging, which remains among its bestselling items today.

Throughout the brand’s 10-year run, Pollock has been committed to sustainable production practices and offering his employees a safe working environment and fair wage. “Our more detailed pieces will take a couple of months to produce,” he says, “but it’s still better than having them done offshore.”

Pollock notes that the bulk of Public Myth’s sales come online from B.C., Alberta, and California. He hopes that the new showroom will offer Vancouverites a chance to interact with and get to know the company and its values. “Sometimes, people on social media, they’ll say, ‘Oh, it’s so expensive,’ ” he says. “But they don’t realize it’s not really the same place Forever 21 is made.”