“Having a shop like this is emotionally important for us,” says ANNMS co-owner Ke Wang. The four 20-something co-owners/employees – consisting of Ke, Rex Wu, Marshall Chen and Guangbin “GB” Cao – were all passionate about fashion and streetwear and decided to start a shop to carry the brands they liked to wear. ANNMS serves as the foursome's first foray into the world of business. Since opening in May 2016, the shop has survived and thrived on Whyte Avenue.
The name ANNMS spoke to the four’s love of minimalistic garments and their desire to carry brands and products customers of any age could wear season after season – products that didn’t use logos or bright colours to do the talking. Besides carrying internationally renowned brands such as Stone Island, the four looked to bring in unique brands for a Canadian audience like Norse Projects, Guerilla Group, Stone Peak, Chapter, Mr Completely and more. “Every store has their own style and taste. We try to do everything our way, so the result is different,” Rex says.