Best of both worlds
Originally published on 08/06/17 00:00
Alan Kelly and Kristin Price launched Epirus London earlier this year with three bags – a backpack, 24-hour bag and a weekend bag – in charcoal and black to suit players with busy lifestyles.
“In our younger days Kristin and I both trained daily, competed internationally and played on scholarship for university teams in the USA and then afterwards on the blues teams of Oxford and Cambridge,” explains Kelly. “But when we joined the working world, we quickly realised the brightly-coloured, heavily-branded bags we had carried all our lives were cumbersome, looked ridiculous with professional attire and were useless in every context beyond the court.
“We spent years searching fruitlessly for a bag that could transition seamlessly from the tennis court to the rest of our lives – be it the office, gym, pub or weekend away with friends and family. Everywhere we looked we saw people ditching their traditional tennis bags as they struggled to fit the sport into their busy lifestyle. So, realising we weren't alone, we set out to create a new category of tennis bag.”
Named after the Fulham flat in Epirus Mews where the business idea was conceived, the pair made their first collection of bags available for pre-order on crowdfunding site Kickstarter at the end of last year and received £21,000 in orders in the first month.
The water-repellent bags hold all your daily essentials, such as laptop, tablet, phone, wallet and chargers, as well as space for at least two rackets and dedicated compartments to keep clean clothes and shoes separate.
“Epirus bags allow you to seamlessly transition from the tennis court, to work, to the gym and then out to dinner in style,” says Kelly. “We're on a mission to help busy people fit more sports and exercise into their lives and look great while doing it.”
Now get the WORLD’S BEST TENNIS MAGAZINE here
