The daily grind has been seriously getting to you lately. Between end-of-the-fiscal-year reports, work project deadlines, post-tax-season budgeting and those summertime socializing goals, your fitness itinerary has fallen to the wayside. Way to the wayside. Like, think miles away to one side.
Our assessment? You need to prioritize chicness. Do yourself a favor and pencil in “score some inspiring activewear” to next month’s calendar. Our pick? With Love From Paradise, a local brand that will help you actually look cute while getting your gym-time to-do list checked off, with a slew of fierce workout gear. Owner and designer Amie Gaines has years in business under her belt, as well as a degree from the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising. When she moved back home to Kaua‘i after years abroad, it was an opportunity to launch an entrepreneurial stint she's been dreaming about for ages. After cutting up a few patterns and stitching together a couple of samples, she tested her handmade creations at a local market. The response? Hugely positive.
Turns out there are a whole lotta gals out there who like their apparel local, so Gaines dubbed her new setup With Love From Paradise. (And, all the swimsuits and workout clothes she puts out really are made with love, originally by Gaines herself with the help of her mom in her apartment-meets-business-headquarters on Kaua‘i, and now in exclusively U.S.-based factories.) As word spread, so did retail orders around the state.
In August, Gaines takes the next step in her business development with a collection crafted from house-designed patterns and prints. Think edgy, paneled yoga leggings with alternating black and teal bird-of-paradise print, sports bras with triple-banded backs and a deep midnight-blue palm pattern, or even streamlined workout shorts, guaranteed not to slow you down. Plus, Gaines uses breathable, lightweight fabric that offers sun protection and can even be taken in the water: the epitome of function meets fashion.
Hold your calls. You've definitely got your workout cut out for you.
See the original article on Honolulu Magazine.com, http://www.honolulumagazine.com/Lei-Chic/July-2016/Prioritize-Chicness-With-a-New-Local-Activewear-Brand/#.V32EDWOoflI
And here's a sneak peak of what's to come this August 2016
Photo by: Brooklyn Dombroski
Model: Malia Murphey