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Byron & Dexter Peart

Co-Founders, Want Les Essentiels

The Canadian twins have steadily grown their collection of utilitarian-chic accessories into a cult favourite.

Biography

Montreal natives Byron and Dexter Peart are twin brothers and the co-founders of Want Les Essentiels, a cult high-end accessories label focused on making stylish and comfortable luggage and travel bags for frequent travellers. Founded in 2006 with a third partner Mark Wiltzer, who remains an active and integral part of the brand, the Peart brothers both had a background in men’s sportswear before spotting a gap in the market for sleek, streamlined travel accessories — bags, briefcases and gadget cases.

In 2011, the twins also launched a concept store, Want Apothecary, in Montreal with Mark and Jacqueline Wiltzer. They later expanded into Toronto and Vancouver in 2013 and 2014 respectively, and then into the US in 2017. A year later, the store moved online and stocks the likes of  Acne Studios , Commes des Garçons and Jil Sander , as well as beauty and body-care brands such as Grown Alchemist and Susanne Kaufmann. 

Byron and Dexter Peart were born and raised in the Canadian capital of Ottawa and both educated at the University of Western Ontario. With experience gained from running Want, an agency that helped introduce of-the-moment brands like Acne, Nudie Jeans, Filippa K and Maison Kitsuné to the North American market, the Peart brothers launched the brand with a clear vision and plan for execution. Electronics gadgets were rapidly becoming the norm, while consumer appetite had evolved beyond flashy logos for a more discreet but no less luxurious product.

To begin, with products ranging from entry-level to the high-end ($1,500) and little in between, demand was uneven. Further exacerbating the operational challenges from widespread distribution, two of their suppliers went out of business, forcing the Pearts to reconsider. “If we were going to keep going, it was imperative that we increased our scale, built better and more strategic prices and developed the collection by adding new segments. We gave ourselves until the end of the year,” they told BoF.

A chance meeting with Mickey Drexler , the retail veteran and merchant of J.Crew, led them to turn things around, starting with a one-off collaboration with J.Crew that brought them wider brand recognition.

 

Career

WANT Les Essentiels

WANT Les Essentiels

Co-Founders

2007 - Present

Montreal, Canada

Vital Statistics

Nationality

Canada

Location
Canada
Member since
2014

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The people shaping the global fashion industry, curated by the editors of The Business of Fashion, based on nominations and on-the-ground intelligence from around the world.