In the heart of The Hill, a store filled with colorful displays stands out among the shot houses, restaurants and Italian groceries, drawing in passers-by. This sleek, modern space is the first showroom and retail store for So iLL, a manufacturer of rock climbing holds, shoes and lifestyle apparel owned by husband-and-wife team Dan and Hannah Chancellor.
Hill’s storefront opened in October 2021, but So iLL has built a worldwide reputation among climbers since it marketed its first climbing holds 15 years ago when Dan and his brother, Dave, were students at the University of Southern California. Illinois–Carbondale. In a rental house they shared, the two built their own rock-climbing wall out of hand-poured holds on the kitchen table. Soon they were hiring employees, building the business, and manufacturing and selling wine cellars out of a pole barn on the property.
The brothers were teenagers when they caught the climbing bug on trips with their uncle to southern Missouri. When it was time to go to college, they chose SIU because of its proximity to the Shawnee National Forest, where they could hike on the weekends. The name of the company, So iLL, is a nod to the region.
In 2007, Dan and Hannah met online. So iLL was already producing bookings for companies around the world and building a strong network through trade shows and word of mouth. As the brand grew, the brothers also opened two local climbing gyms: Climb So iLL, the first just east of Lafayette Square and the second in St. Charles. Dave now operates the gyms, while Dan and Hannah focus on retail and product development.
The showroom and store, located on the corner of Marconi and Daggett, was previously occupied by another local brand, clothing company Skif International. It was originally the home of Spielberg Furniture Co., hence its large open layout. Dan had long admired the building, and when it came on the market in early 2020, he knew it would be the perfect home for So iLL.
By September, they had begun work on the building’s basement while renovating the upstairs, starting with painting the dark interior white. The couple’s friend, Sarah Gibson of architecture firm UIC, helped design the climbing gyms. She helped the Chancellors to think about the new space.
“We wanted to keep the shop separate from the work space, but we didn’t want to build walls,” says Hannah. “Sarah helped us define the space. Since it is such a long building, she suggested we do it based on the life cycle of the products.”
They followed his advice, starting at one end, where products are “born” in the design and development area, and then moving on to prototyping, where product samples are organized on boards. The marketing area is dedicated to product photography. At the other end of the open floor are logistics and customer service, along with entrance to the retail space and customer payment. All of the display boards, dividers, and even the checkout counter have wheels for easy portability.
Dan and Hannah worked together to design the mezzanine product displays, creating a rainbow of climbing holds arranged in color families on white pegboards along the back wall. Shoes, bags, and other accessories are similarly displayed, by color in bullet points.
“We wanted to keep everything clean and simple,” says Hannah.
A popular line of shoes, accessories and clothing features a pattern of small repeating triangles inspired by famous collaborator Jason Momoa’s arm tattoo. Like the Chancellor brothers, the actor started climbing when he was young. Dan and Hannah met him through the manager of a Los Angeles climbing gym that Momoa frequents and uses his holds.
When Momoa was preparing for his starring role in Aquaman, the production company built him a climbing wall to train on while filming abroad. She wanted to wear So iLL restraints, which jump-started their relationship. In 2019, the company launched its first line of shoes, bags and accessories in collaboration with the movie star.
“He likes working with smaller family businesses and we have a lot in common, so it’s been fun,” says Hannah. “He sends us something he likes, or a color he likes, and we go through the process with him, designing and sourcing materials.”
So iLL also recently launched a collaboration with famed rock climber Meagan Martin, who appeared in multiple seasons of American Ninja Warrior. Foraying into clothing for both climbing and lifestyle, the company now offers a line of stretch denim as well as tights. New this year is a line of hair ties, made right here in St. Louis.
Source: www.stlmag.com