Mondetta enters retail space on own terms
The company has announced a late September opening for Modern Ambition, which will sell clothing from its luxury brand of the same name. The 1,200-square-foot store is located at the corner of Carlton Street and Graham Avenue in True North Square.
Mondetta is proud to be a Manitoba company and that's why its flagship store is in downtown Winnipeg, said Ash Modha, co-founder and CEO.
'We believe that we all have to do our part for the city to actually build commerce downtown,' Modha said.
'We want to make sure that Winnipeg gets the best of the best first, as opposed to giving the best to Toronto or Vancouver or Calgary or Edmonton or even New York,' he added. 'We're huge advocates of Winnipeg and Manitoba, so that's why it's here.'
BROOK JONES/FREE PRESS
Ash Modha, co-founder and CEO of Mondetta, inside Modern Ambitions, a new store in downtown Winnipeg that will sell clothing from Mondetta's luxury brand of the same name.
BROOK JONES/FREE PRESS
Ash Modha, co-founder and CEO of Mondetta, inside Modern Ambitions, a new store in downtown Winnipeg that will sell clothing from Mondetta's luxury brand of the same name.
Modha, his brother Prashant Modha and friend Raj Bahl started Mondetta in 1986. The name means 'small world' and the business quickly became known for its signature flag sweatshirts.
Today, the company includes four brands. Mondetta offers clothing for the whole family, Mondetta Originals offers the iconic sweatshirts that made the company famous, and MPG offers activewear. Modern Ambition, which the company launched in 2019, bridges activewear and luxury menswear by offering tailored clothing made from moisture-wicking fabric that has stretch to it.
'We thought there's a real window of opportunity in this space where we can come in and build a quiet luxury brand (at a more affordable) price point,' Modha said, adding that while some luxury brands sell suits for upwards of $3,000, Modern Ambition's suits retail for $900.
The clothing is designed in Manitoba and manufactured primarily in Indonesia using Italian fabrics, Modha said.
The Winnipeg store will resemble an intimate living room with comfortable couches and chairs, and will offer concierge-level service, including personal styling, private shopping and on-the-spot tailoring.
'The idea of this is to keep it intimate,' Modha said. 'It's not supposed to be this massive retail store, it's not cold … You can come in and you're known. Your information is all (on file, including) your sizing so they can actually show you the new products that come in.'
SUPPLIED
Modern Ambition's 1,200-square-foot store is designed to resemble an intimate living room with comfortable couches and chairs.
SUPPLIED
Modern Ambition's 1,200-square-foot store is designed to resemble an intimate living room with comfortable couches and chairs.
Mondetta recently hired Georgi Gvakharia as vice-president global head of retail to help grow the Modern Ambition brand. Gvakharia has previously worked as an area general manager at Hugo Boss and as an executive at Ralph Lauren.
'We brought him on to really take this division and start to scale it as quick as possible,' Modha said.
Mondetta is investing $1 million in the Winnipeg store, he added. The company's goal is to open 24 more stores — half of them Modern Ambition locations and the other half bearing the Mondetta name — across Canada and beyond in the next five years.
The company is retrofitting a motorhome to include a mobile showroom that will travel across the country to promote Modern Ambition and its forthcoming stores, Modha said.
'We are an old-school, legacy wholesale company that goes and finds retailers to carry our product, but (we thought) enough's enough — we need to do (retail) on our own,' he said. 'So what we've decided to do is open up our own retail stores and build the brand that way.'
SUPPLIED
Mondetta announced a September opening for Modern Ambition.
SUPPLIED
Mondetta announced a September opening for Modern Ambition.
The Winnipeg store will open in September, with a grand opening to follow in October.
Mondetta is a well-regarded Canadian brand, said Jim Ludlow, president of True North Real Estate Development. Having Modern Ambition's flagship store as part of True North Square is significant, he added, because it aligns with True North's desire to create a hub that serves downtown Winnipeg.
'We're really impressed with Ash and his company,' Ludlow said. 'We're really looking forward to this store opening in relatively short order.'
Mondetta does not disclose its annual revenue, Modha said.
The company employs around 150 people, 110 of whom are in Manitoba. The first Modern Ambition store will employ four people, and Modha anticipates 'a significant amount of hires' as the company opens more stores in the coming years.
Meantime, he is planning to celebrate four decades of business in 2026.
'Jan. 16 next year will be our 40th (year), so it's pretty wild,' Modha said.
aaron.epp@freepress.mb.ca
Monday Mornings
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Aaron EppReporter
Aaron Epp reports on business for the Free Press. After freelancing for the paper for a decade, he joined the staff full-time in 2024. He was previously the associate editor at Canadian Mennonite. Read more about Aaron.
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Mondetta enters retail space on own terms
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BROOK JONES/FREE PRESS Ash Modha, co-founder and CEO of Mondetta, inside Modern Ambitions, a new store in downtown Winnipeg that will sell clothing from Mondetta's luxury brand of the same name. BROOK JONES/FREE PRESS Ash Modha, co-founder and CEO of Mondetta, inside Modern Ambitions, a new store in downtown Winnipeg that will sell clothing from Mondetta's luxury brand of the same name. Modha, his brother Prashant Modha and friend Raj Bahl started Mondetta in 1986. The name means 'small world' and the business quickly became known for its signature flag sweatshirts. Today, the company includes four brands. Mondetta offers clothing for the whole family, Mondetta Originals offers the iconic sweatshirts that made the company famous, and MPG offers activewear. Modern Ambition, which the company launched in 2019, bridges activewear and luxury menswear by offering tailored clothing made from moisture-wicking fabric that has stretch to it. 'We thought there's a real window of opportunity in this space where we can come in and build a quiet luxury brand (at a more affordable) price point,' Modha said, adding that while some luxury brands sell suits for upwards of $3,000, Modern Ambition's suits retail for $900. The clothing is designed in Manitoba and manufactured primarily in Indonesia using Italian fabrics, Modha said. The Winnipeg store will resemble an intimate living room with comfortable couches and chairs, and will offer concierge-level service, including personal styling, private shopping and on-the-spot tailoring. 'The idea of this is to keep it intimate,' Modha said. 'It's not supposed to be this massive retail store, it's not cold … You can come in and you're known. Your information is all (on file, including) your sizing so they can actually show you the new products that come in.' 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