This week we had a chance to speak with Dustin Cox, an L.A. native and owner of Toronto clothing brand Lessthan Boutique. We spoke with Dustin to find out more about his brand and how he’s bringing some west coast flavour to the west of Toronto.

What is your brand called and what do you make?

Our brand is called Lessthan Boutique, and we are an independent brand based in Toronto, ON.

We focus primarily on novelty graphic tees, sweatshirts, accessories such as hats, and tote bags. However, we are planning to do more 1 of 1 pieces with other independent artists down the road.

All of our items are limited to ensure we aren’t over-producing goods.

When did you launch?

We launched April of 2020.

What are some of the things that differentiate you from the competition?

Our brand stands out specifically in Toronto as we try to incorporate a little bit of West Coast flavour in our designs / aesthetic. Dustin, our graphic artist moved here from Los Angeles so you can feel that little bit of West Coast in our graphics. Our prices are also very fair as we are trying to be more accessible during these hard times.

Where is it made?

Everything is designed, printed, embroidered here in Toronto.

What are some of your favourite materials to use?

We enjoy working with local vendors to establish our home base as Toronto to eliminate carbon emissions. We are fully aware that you can source cheaper manufacturing overseas but we are looking to be more sustainable)

We try hard to ensure we incorporate organic hand drawn graphics in our clothing.

Most of the designs stem from our designers sketchbook and have a hand rendered quality.

Who is your target audience?

Our demographic leans unisex aged 18-40

Our target Audience includes both niche Canadian & American markets as one member of Lessthan is from the United States, and the other member is Canadian.

We tend to appeal to other creatives, local Torontonians, and those who like quirky graphic tees.