Speed and agility are required on the field and off it.
Wondy Pierre Louis, a Haitian native and former UF football player, found a new passion and launched a luxurious fashion collection called Pierre Louis.
The history of the brand goes back to the 1970s, when Pierre Louis’ family handcrafted clothing in the Caribbean.
This inspired him to develop a unique brand that represented his family’s former traditions.
Pierre Louis grew up surrounded by the clothing business, which helped him generate new ideas to launch his business. He played football for years and decided this was the next step he wanted to take.
“I enjoy what I do because I get to constantly meet a lot of people and it’s extremely social,” Pierre Louis said. “The best part about it is being able to carry on my family’s legacy.”
The logo took two years to create. The signature icon is a palm tree, bent as if it is being blown away. The brand is also recognized for its cursive, overlapping P and L, Pierre Louis said.
Philip Spottswood, Pierre Louis’ agent, said six of their friends came together a few years ago to discuss a possible company logo.
“Palm trees reminded Wondy of his home back in Haiti, so we decided that this would be an appropriate logo,” Spottswood said.
101 Cantina, a local sports bar, saw this as an opportunity to help a former Gators football player and wanted to spread his ambition and dream. Pierre Louis made limited, custom-made gameday tank tops with the traditional P and L logo for Cantina, which cost $25.
“It’s crazy how it started off so small, and now we are selling over 100 shirts each gameday at Cantina,” Spottswood said.
The Pierre Louis brand represents more than clothing, Spottswood said. It expresses the importance of tradition, culture and how it relates to the different audiences the company targets.
“It’s catchy, it’s fashionable, it’s trendy, and it sounds like something you would want to wear. It’s Pierre Louis,” Spottswood said.
The Pierre Louis clothing line is available at Wolfgang, a local boutique, at 1127 W. University Ave.
“Next step: opening an official Pierre Louis store here in Gainesville,” Pierre Louis said.
