Q&A with ADAY Activewear founders Meg He and Nina Faulhaber

What inspired you to start ADAY?

The initial inspiration of ADAY was to create a business that fits in with our busy schedules, that also represented the the lives that we live. We wanted clothes that were cut for movement that can be worn anywhere — from our mornings meeting to our HIIT class. So we combined technologically advanced fabrics with an updated constructive design to create staple pieces that can be worn daily. As these staples bring a ‘single-outfit-does-it- all’ concept, it eliminates the need to change your clothing throughout the day — ideal for the busy, 21st century woman.

What initially sparked your interest in fitnesswear and when was it?

For ADAY, it was all personal. We created the brand for women like ourselves. We were initially working in the tech and finance industry and saw everything change, from smartphones to on­-demand apps making our lives better. We were both working very hard, but were still living an active life, which we weren’t willing to compromise (Nina is a former competitive gymnast and Meg is a yoga teacher) Our lives during that time were very spontaneous,  and our clothing just couldn’t keep up with us. We wanted more than just fitnesswear that we could be active in, we wanted clothing that could do it all. So we made the decision to spend our days doing what we love most: working with technology and creating something we believed in. Our team is made up of designers, brand creatives, marketers and technologists who also happen to be hip hop dancers, Pilates teachers and competitive tennis players.

What were you doing before ADAY?

We met in a completely different world — in investment banking in London. We actually worked together on Nina’s first project at Goldman Sachs and became fast friends, connecting over many topics, including fashion, but ultimately discovering that we had a similar life ethos; we both valued our experiences over our possessions and wanted to experience the most out of life. We both come from a very tech-driven background, where we were surrounded by people who always put work first, but over time we’ve found that it’s important to find a balance and to care of yourself first. This is the same ethos that we bring into ADAY everyday; the whole team works very hard but we do enjoy our off time to wander, be creative and pursue all that’s burning inside of us.

Who is the clothing best suited to?

ADAY is a brand for the woman who lives life on her terms. She’s present, she’s smart, she lives a happy, healthy life and she follows her passions. In many ways, she’s us — we created ADAY because we were looking to update our wardrobe with staples that have no restrictions. The ADAY woman has no limitations and doesn’t take no for an answer, she’s the woman everyone aspires to be.

What makes ADAY different from other fitness brands?

We see ADAY as creating the bridge between clothing that is active in design and composition. We don’t necessarily compare what we do to existing sporty options because our woman takes the clothing way beyond the gym and the yoga studio and into her daily routine for everything life brings. We absolutely love when people tell us that they’ve worn our pieces to their Barre class last week and then travelled across the world in them for a friend’s wedding. We aim to seamlessly mesh together the worlds of activewear and contemporary fashion.

What advice do you have for someone looking to follow the same path?

There’s a lot of different pieces — and it’s important to have all the different sectors, including vision, purpose, determination, optimism and timing. We’re very lucky to have an awesome team of creative women, who come to work because they’re passionate about what they do and we’re also very mission -focused; driven  by  a  desire  to  help  people  live  a  healthier  life. Every brand also needs to know the market that they’re venturing into, specifically its target demographic. If you don’t understand what your customers want, or are targeting a group that’s too diverse, this can result in ineffective marketing that can often break  a  brand  that’s  just  starting.  It’s  important  that  the  customer  can  identify  with  your  product, which in our case, has an emphasis on living life better and an active and healthy lifestyle.

What’s your favourite kind of workout and why?

Meg: We both love to run and actually just signed up for the Brooklyn Half Marathon with the rest of the team, so we’re very excited to train together! As a yoga teacher myself, I find peace during my practice. Whether it’s for 20 minutes on a Monday morning or a deep flow at Laughing Lotus (my favourite yoga studio), I always try to make time on the mat.

Nina: I grew up doing competitive gymnastics, so being active everyday and challenging my body is nourishing for me. I’m also an outdoor runner. Give me a pair of headphones and trainers and I’m gone. That’s definitely where my ‘me’ time comes in as I’m solely focusing on myself and my performance.

Who do you look up to in the industry and why?

We just had Natalie Kuhn over last week for a goodbye dinner before she jets off to LA to open up a west coast studio for ‘The Class’ (one of our favourite classes!). Her extremely positive spirit and welcoming aura has a way of truly captivating you and inspiring you to be the best version of yourself. She’s very talented, and not to mention, super hardworking. It’s women like this that represents ADAY as a brand. Women who come to realise exactly what they want from life and go out and get it, no excuses.

What are your predictions for fitnesswear in the near future?

The fitnesswear industry is a billion dollar industry, and that’s not changing anytime soon. Although it’s quite comfortably made it’s mark in the US, it’s still just beginning in Europe, and there is still so much more room for growth and opportunity. People have never taken such a strong interest in the way that they look, feel and overall live and they’ve now come to understand just how rewarding this lifestyle is. Taking care of yourself and putting your wellness first will never get old,  because once you begin to make that shift into living a healthier lifestyle, you never go back. It feels too good! More brands on the high street have already began to cater for the masses and to fully provide consumers with essentials to fulfil their fitness desires. As long as majority of the consumer market is exposed to a healthier, exercise – driven approach to life, the fitnesswear industry will continue to boom.

Where would you like to see ADAY in five years time?

As an online and direct to consumer business. We’re excited to do a lot more experimentation with pop-ups and our offline experience. We just moved into a lovely space in SoHo, New York (161 Lafayette Street) and we’re hosting fortnightly open studios where friends and customers can come and actually see all of our new products and try the clothing. We’re also hosting monthly events with our ambassadors, and individuals in our community, which is a lovely way to bring everybody together and really create a solid foundation for ADAY here in New York. More customer and brand interaction is definitely a strong focus for us at the present, and we don’t predict a shift in this focus anytime soon.

Next, we’re doing a pop-up at Platform in Los Angeles, California, where we’re also running meditation events, talks by people who inspire us and hosting one of our favourite New York workouts (the class — regular attendees include Gisele and Naomi Watts) in LA. It’s important for us to get to know all of our customers, engage in our LA community and for our customer to truly experience the entirely of ADAY, not just the clothing.

International shipping, outside of the US and UK, is also the next thing on our minds as we’ve been receiving a lot of attention from Australia, Canada and Germany, so that’s so exciting!