About ça va de soi
. Odile and Antoine, circa 1995
ça va de soi
It all started in the late '80s when Odile Bougain and Antoine Nasri decided to step outside of the box, in an era of overconsumption in the ready-to-wear industry. It's the story of a connection and a mutual passion for style and "slow fashion" that lead to the creation of the Montreal based knitwear house.
ça va de soi produces timeless classics based on real life, between the collection of pure classics and the "avant-garde" creations that punctuate the seasons, the common thread of inspiration never breaks; starting with the material, followed by colour, and the shape. We never start from scratch when we rely on exceptional raw materials.
Our motto
Natural fibres, expertise and innovation; ça va de soi reinvents knitwear essentials, the most durable, crafted from noble fibres and sold at the fairest prices. This philosophy and sustainability promise is born out of a desire to counter excessive consumption and an unyielding refusal to follow the market's models that implies the renewal of their acquisitions twice a year. ça va de soi makes the respect of humans and animals conditions a priority in every part, from creation to production, all the way to the boutiques.
For a few years, the founders of ça va de soi, Antoine Nasri and Odile Bougain, also take the time to pass on their unique expertises to young talents and to their children, in what has become a wonderful family story.
Timeline
1972: Antoine starts a company in the clothing trade with his brothers.
1974: Odile and Antoine meet in downtown Montreal
1991: Birth of ça va de soi: the ça va de soi house is making a place for itself in the wardrobes of Montrealers as avant-garde “slow fashion”
1995: Start date of exclusive use of Italian spinners
2001: Acquisition of a building in Mile-End 5158 St-Laurent to set up its head office.
2006: Laurier opens its flagship store on Laurier in the Outremont district
2008: ça va de soi opens up to international markets with a distributor in Japan and via shows in Paris (Who's Next) and New York (Coterie)
Gabrielle, Guillaume and Kinza Nasri, at Who's Next show in Paris. January 2009
Summer 2009: Opening of a corner shop in Ogilvy Department Store
Fall 2009: Opening of the Ottawa boutique on Sussex Drive
Summer 2012: Opening in Quebec City on Saint-Jean
Fall 2013: Opening of the Toronto boutique in the Yorkville district
2014: Launch of the e-commerce site
Fall 2015: Opening of the Greene Avenue boutique in Montreal's Westmount
2016: Inauguration of ça va bain knitwear Spa: a personalized washing, refurbishing, and repair service for ça va de soi knits
2019: Launch of the upcycling program, with a zero waste objective
2019: Beginning of the partnership with Italian lingerie firm: Oscalito
2020: Launch of new website and management system, a project ran by inside team members during the pandemic
Spring 2022: Opening of the new concept store Au coin des connaisseurs dedicated to our archives
Fall 2022: Opening of the new flagship store in the Mile-End district in ça va de soi's headquarters.
