Reigning Champ is a Canadian premium athletic apparel brand founded in Vancouver in 2007 by Craig Atkinson — who also founded wings+horns under the parent company CYC Design Corporation. The brand is built around a single obsession: making the finest heavyweight fleece and cotton athletic basics in the world, produced in CYC’s own factory in Vancouver. Atkinson, who spent years in Japan importing vintage Americana and distributing North American brands, applied the Japanese philosophy of letting the product speak for itself to what is fundamentally a very American aesthetic — the heavy, well-made sweatshirt, hoodie, and sweatpant.
Key Facts
- Founded: 2007
- Founder: Craig Atkinson (also founder of wings+horns, CYC Design Corporation)
- Headquarters: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Current Owner: Aritzia (acquired 75% stake in 2021 for $63 million)
- Industry: Premium Athleisure, Canadian Menswear
History
CYC Design Corporation began as a business-to-business operation and white-label supplier for other brands before Atkinson put his own label on the best-in-class fleece he had perfected for clients. His years importing vintage Americana to Japan and distributing North American brands in the 1990s gave him the eye for quality and the Japanese sensibility of understated craft that defines the CYC brands. Reigning Champ launched in 2007 focused exclusively on premium fleece — Atkinson’s stated goal was simply to be “best-in-class” in that category. Collaborations with adidas, Club Monaco, Converse, New Balance, J.Crew, and Major League Soccer and NBA teams expanded the brand’s profile. In 2021, Canadian fashion retailer Aritzia acquired a 75% stake for $63 million, with Atkinson continuing to operate the business.
Product and Philosophy
Reigning Champ’s product philosophy is iterative rather than trend-driven: the core range of hoodies, crewnecks, sweatpants, T-shirts, and shorts changes very little season to season, with only small updates to cuts, proportions, and colourways. The palette remains anchored in neutral greys, navies, and blacks. Construction details — flatlock seams, bar tacks, custom heavyweight fleece — are geeky garment-industry specifics that the average customer may not consciously notice but which cumulatively explain why a Reigning Champ hoodie feels different from everything else. Sold through 130+ retailers worldwide and its own stores.
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