Four brands showing for the first time at the Outdoor Retailer Summer Market, Aug. 6 to 9 in Salt Lake City.
Brand: Greenola Style
Designers: Jennifer Moran and Elizabeth Marczak
Booth: PV2270
Based In: Chicago
Years In Business: Five
Backstory: Attempting to bridge the gap between fashion-forward and ethically designed accessories, Greenola Style offers an edgy line of jewelry, hats and scarfs handmade by artisans in Bolivia and Kenya.
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“After spending some time in South America, I met artists in communities that were doing some fabulous work and I saw the opportunity for collaboration and an international market,” Moran said.
While creating each collection, both designers leave Chicago to work alongside the artisans. Using locally sourced materials like alpaca, a naturally hypoallergenic material, the designers mix the countries’ cultural traditions with a current design approach to keep their pieces on trend.
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“As a brand, we try to celebrate traditional artists and techniques like weaving and metalsmithing, but we also help them design in a modern world,” Moran said.
The collection, which is sold in roughly 400 stores within the U.S. as well as Canada, Japan, England and Australia, recently expanded its reach to Athleta stores nationwide and will pop up in Tom’s marketplace for the holiday season. Wholesale prices start at $4 for a bracelet and $40 for scarves.
Inspiration: “Everything we do is made by the hands of our artisans living in these marginalized regions of the world,” Marczak said. “There is always a story behind every piece.”
— Sarah Tooker
Brand: Beyond Yoga
Designer: Michelle Wahler
Booth: PV2006
Based In: Los Angeles
Years In Business: Eight
Backstory: Founded on the principle that women should not have to work out to fit in their workout gear, Beyond Yoga aims to offer a versatile line of fashion-forward athletic apparel that can take customers from a Pilates session to dinner on a Friday evening.
The secret to the brand’s success may be its unique fabric. Unlike many athletic lines, the collection utilizes a Supplex material that has key performance elements such as four-way stretch and moisture wicking, but feels softer than cotton. The U.S.-made line, sold in more than 2,000 retail doors including chains like Anthropologie and Nordstrom, also attempts to make coveted items like a cashmere sweater more practical for on-the-go women by using washable fabrics like bamboo fleece.
“The fabric is so soft that everybody freaks out when they feel it,” Wahler said. “It also takes away the hassle because you can wash it today and wear it tomorrow.”
Wholesale prices range from $28 to sports bras to $74 for jackets.
Inspiration: “We design so it fits everyone,” Wahler said. “Our favorite saying is, ‘everybody and every body.’”
— Sarah Tooker
Brand: LVR
Designer: Eric Clarke & Anastasia Mazula
Booth: PV2012
Based In: Los Angeles
Years In Business: Four
Designer: Soon-to-be-wed couple Eric Clarke and Anastasia Mazula did not follow a typical relationship trajectory. The California-based duo launched LVR, a unisex lifestyle apparel line, in 2010, just two years after their first date. The brand name is from “lover,” and they chose to start the business before they decided to get married.
“It was a tough decision at first to join forces, to be honest,” Clarke said. “All of our friends warned us against it, but we felt that our strengths could complement each other really well.”
Their wedding is set for this fall in Northern California.
Founded on the ideals of giving back to the community and promoting environmentally friendly production and material, the brightly colored and tie-dyed apparel line is made from organic cotton and dyes, using local production. They donate a percentage of each quarter’s revenues to various charities, as well.
The collection wholesales from $14 for a scarf to $37 for a maxidress or asymmetric zip hoodie, and is currently sold at more than 500 retailers across the country.
Inspiration: “Everything we do is inspired by clothing that’s not only functional but also gives back and spreads awareness,” said Clarke.
— Rebecca Dancer
Brand: Swirlgear
Designer: Lacie Whyte
Booth: PV2051
Based In: Chicago
Years In Business: Eight
Back Story: With a three-year-old daughter and a full-time job as an executive recruiter, Chicago resident Lacie Whyte found stress-release in running, but was disappointed by the lack of comfortable, stylish athletic apparel options.
“The more I thought about it, there wasn’t anything in the running space being manufactured by the big brands that was cut right for a woman’s body,” Whyte said.
This inspired her to design and launch her own line, called Swirlgear, in 2006. After selling in local boutiques for years, Whyte decided to quit her day job and fully expand Swirlgear, launching it nationally at the Boston Marathon in 2013. With colorblocking and moisture-wicking fabrics, Whyte’s collection aims to fit and flatter a woman’s figure, and also transition into lifestyle wear.
“It shows off the curves of a woman’s body in a way that is not obvious,” Whyte said. “We want people to feel good about themselves.”
Swirlgear currently retails in about 65 stores nationwide, and Whyte hopes to be in 90 by the end of the year.
Inspiration: “When I was first coming up with the concept, the biggest thing I wanted to capture was how women are always doing a million things. We’re managing our careers, our households, our fitness….I just felt like the Tasmanian Devil. It felt like a swirling motion. So Swirlgear was born.”
— Rebecca Dancer