TEMA Athletics may not be a brand you have heard of, but this little-known activewear line is positioned to be a powerhouse in the activewear industry in the very near future.
When founder and CEO, Bhawna Gupta, started the company last year, all she had was an idea and a dream to change the face of the activewear industry by providing sizing that catered to ALL women, XS-3X. She found there was a void in the offerings of larger sizes by some of the major activewear brands, such as Lucy, lululemon, and Athleta to name a few.
Coming from the tech industry, she had no idea where to start but was determined to create her first line. Through researching the design and execution process, she discovered MAGIC, an enormous retail industry trade show in Vegas where she could get direct contact with manufacturers who could potentially make the designs she is created with virtually no design or retail experience. She attended the trade show and met with many manufacturers and other vendors. It took her nearly a year to get her product in her hands.
She realized in order to expand the company, she would need the help of a seasoned and talented designer. So the search began. She poured over LinkedIn profiles, contacted design schools in the area and met with a few potential candidates. Out of all, Irene Taira stood out. She came with a vision board for the TEMA brand in hand, a huge smile and tons of passion and that is when Bhawna knew she needed her.
Meanwhile, local photographer, Kristin Tetuán, didn't even know the brand existed. After years of feeling lost and longing for something more and to do something huge, she made the difficult decision to put her photography career on hold and try her hand at attempting to become a police officer.
For two years, she had undergone intense physical training and testing to qualify. The third time she tested, she scored in the top 10% out of hundreds of candidates, as you can imagine, mostly men. This got her an interview with the department she wanted to work for. When the department came back to her to say she hadn't scored high enough to proceed to the next step, she was devastated and heartbroken. Not knowing where to go next, she came to Ben, owner of Mt Si Sports + Fitness, and asked if there was a place for her on his team. The gym that had supported her through her training graciously took her in. She renewed her commitment to her photography and threw herself into helping the gym improve their online presence and social media channels.
On a rare datenight celebrating their 10th wedding anniversary, Kristin and her husband wandered into designer consignment boutique, Sell Your Soul, in downtown Seattle. After browsing around, ever-social Kristin struck up a conversation with Nicole Jackson, stylist extraordinaire and visual merchandising guru at the boutique. Nicole shared that her friend, Bhawna, was trying to launch an activewear line. Kristin lit up and shared that she was a photographer and a marketing manager at a fitness center and suggested they connect to talk more about how they could help each other out. Kristin knew this connection was not just by chance.
Within a few short weeks, with the help of Nicole's incredible connection and coordination skills, Kristin found herself shooting product and editorial images in her garage with a full entourage, including 3 models, makeup artist, Oliver Villafuerte, and the styling support of Nicole. Bhawna was in attendance, as well, and the conversation between her and Kristin slowly began to unfold from that day on. They found that their passion for fitness, business and making a difference in the world on a grander scheme was something they had in common.
https://youtu.be/MbI8OK4YS14
https://youtu.be/MbI8OK4YS14
TEMA's core philosophy is deeply rooted in women's empowerment, body positivity and creating activewear that supports a healthy lifestyle for all women, regardless of shape or size. Bhawna, Irene and Kristin, with the support of their team, are moving forward full-throttle at creating a powerful shift in the way society and the fashion world view personal fitness and living a healthy lifestyle.
To meet the team and shop their current line, you can attend the TEMA Athletics Launch Party & Trunk Show Friday and Saturday at Mt. Si Sports + Fitness! In addition to a great sale on tanks, leggings and yoga pants, you can sign up for a gym membership at 50% off first month's dues and waived enrollment to kick of your personal fitness journey, no matter where you are along the way. If you're not immediately local, consider Mt Si Sports + Fitness's yoga program as a motivator to get out into nature and start working toward your fitness goals!
Event Details:
When:
Friday 9:30am - 1pm
Saturday 8am - 6pm
Where:
Mt Si Sports + Fitness
1546 Boalch Ave NW
North Bend, WA
Facebook Event Found Here: https://www.facebook.com/events/228044227577023/
Do you have a connection that could support TEMA in their goal of making their product available at major retailers like Nordstrom, Macy's, REI or others? Interested in how you can purchase product or host a trunk show? Contact Kristin Tetuán at 425.281.8312 or kristin@temaathletics.com
Be sure to 'Like' TEMA Athletics on Facebook by visiting
