LONDON — Carl Tallents, who spent his career in luxury retail working as a top buyer for Matches and Flannels, is launching a brand of his own called Now You Live, which takes in performance and athleisure clothing, knitwear, tailoring, footwear and accessories.

It’s a punchy proposition, but he’s up for the challenge. “I love product,” said Tallents, whose aim is to create a low-key luxury wardrobe that works just as well in the city as it does in the countryside. In an interview, Tallents said he wanted to marry comfort and style, and for men and women to layer the pieces according to their needs.

Pieces range from four-way stretch technical gym and yoga gear, to cotton knit blazers, cashmere sweaters, hybrid and performance footwear. And because he loves product, there are also scrunchies, socks and cowhide embroidered bags, all in an earthy color palette inspired by life with his family in the English countryside.

The collection launched softly earlier this month on nowyoulive.com. It will begin selling this week at Selfridges, Harrods and Harvey Nichols through immersive pop-up spaces. Tallents said his ambition is to have shops-in-shop in stores internationally.

He’s launching with 250 stock keeping units, and prices that range from 55 pounds for a T-shirt to 230 pounds for the footwear and up to 400 pounds for cashmere and outerwear. His plan is to keep the top prices around 400 pounds, and dominate what he sees as a key space between athleisure and high-end luxury.  

Tallents, who left Matches after its acquisition by Frasers Group in late 2023, is funding the collection himself and working directly with the factories. He said it is refreshing to build a collection based on his own vision, rather than fulfilling the brief of a retailer.  

He said the idea blossomed after he left Matches, took a break from the industry, and started spending more time at home with his wife and children. He was thinking about how to dress stylishly — but for a slower pace of life.

“What I noticed was a disconnect between the clothes available in the health and wellness space and the way I wanted to show up. Everything felt overly branded, trend-driven or performance-obsessed. I wanted pieces that felt calm, intentional and confident,” he said.

Asked why he picked activewear, a flourishing but very crowded category, Tallents said it was an “authentic choice.”

He played professional soccer when he was young and said “movement and discipline have been constants throughout my life. Now You Live approaches activewear as part of a wider lifestyle, not just for training but for recovery, travel and daily life,” he said.

He’s also on a mission to “elevate” athleisure, and sit above the high street brands with clothing that’s “super-comfortable, flattering, and done in muted tones. There is no neon here,” Tallents said. The branding is minimal, with iterations of the word “you,” on sweatshirt sleeves, wooly socks and clothing labels.

Ease was another big consideration. “Everything — cotton shirts, gilets, blazers — can be layered, the pieces sit easily with each other and all work together,” said Tallents.

He admits he’s still thinking like a retailer, putting together looks in his head, keeping his eye on every stitch and thinking about how to serve his customer best. But he’s also excited to be a founder.

“Over the years, on my buying trips, I used to look at brand founders, and they always impressed me” with their hard work, dedication and courage, said Tallents.

Now that he’s in the hot seat, Tallents said he’s “doubly impressed,” with his fellow founders and can’t wait to showcase his fresh ideas.