When it comes to working out as women we understand the importance of comfort, support, flexibility, and durability. With so much fast fashion these days, one can find a plethora of options for activewear, but the struggle of finding good-quality and sustainable materials is real. Luckily for us, Kelli-Anne who is the founder of a women’s activewear brand solved those problems! With her brand Cerinic, women are offered high quality, sustainable, and durable activewear for all of their workouts and adventures! Kelli-Anne shared with us at Portelle how her journey into activewear began:
When I graduated from college, I took a position as a designer at a company looking to start an activewear division. I gained unique, hands-on experience in product development, merchandising, and activewear design. I took multiple trips to China for sourcing, developing, and production purposes. As a head designer, I sourced fabrics, developed garments, created tech packs, ran fittings, became involved in sales and production meetings, and helped solve product issues. While I enjoyed this fast-paced job, I became troubled by the fashion industry’s environmental impact.
In my free time, I spent my weekends hiking in the mountains. Nature possesses the ability to heal us in ways we did not know we needed. As I continued to hike, I realized it was a stress reliever and an immense confidence builder. I knew what I was capable of in a work environment, but physically climbing miles of mountains proved to me what I was truly capable of. I began connecting with the women’s hiking community through multiple channels. This group of women is incredibly supportive of each other: we share our hiking wins, our hiking fails, and our overall experiences in nature.
I began planning more adventurous hiking trips: the Great Range, the Presidential Traverse, and the Grand Canyon. The Grand Canyon was, without doubt, one of the hardest trails I had ever done in my life. As I struggled towards the top, a woman who I had briefly crossed paths with earlier in the day, stood and cheered me on. Receiving support and encouragement from a total stranger was an epiphany for me: I wanted to be a part of this community. I wanted to connect with others and help them climb their literal and figurative mountains, just like she had helped me.