6 YEARS IN THE MAKING
TODAY IS OUR 6 YEAR ANNIVERSARY! It's truly surreal. Most small businesses fail within a year of starting but here we are - strong, resilient, and relentless.
Before we get into it, I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for supporting our brand and mission. Without you, our community, I'd just be a girl with a dream... but because of you, I'm able to live that dream and serve a bigger purpose: empowering people on the journey to their #ultimateself.
We started this company with two t-shirt designs and a lot of passion. Today, we have expanded our product line, collaborated with some incredible brands, organizations, and people, attended countless events, have built up an incredible custom clientele, and we've reached a larger audience with our podcast, Move More Worry Less.
There are a lot of things I could talk about today, so much has happened in the last 6 years, but I want to dedicate this blog to spotlighting some of our proudest collections and campaigns.
This project was inspired by our community and their individual stories. Our mission is to connect and empower you through our apparel and concepts - this was our opportunity to do just that while also giving the floor to community members whose stories are truly inspiring.
Each story we shared (13 total) not only showed challenges but also the triumphs that followed. They were unfiltered and vulnerable, and we could not be more grateful for those who participated and opened up. Not only did they inspire us but are also proof that we are not alone, hardship comes in many shapes, colors, and sizes.
We designed the campaign to showcase all different kinds of journeys and struggles in hopes that maybe there would be one story that you identified with or connected to.
Own your journey. Embrace your hardships. Reflect on your past. These are tools and learning experiences that will empower you on the journey to your #ultimateself.
This collection was inspired by who we are and where we come from; NYC based and always hustling towards our #ultimateself.
"Cultural heritage is the legacy of tangible and intangible assets of a group or society that is inherited from past generations."
We are proud of where we come from - not just the city but also the journey that led us here, to starting this brand, this community, this lifestyle.
The New York City culture gave us the grit, determination, and hardship that has allowed us to grow and become resilient; it gave us the courage to take risks and work our asses off for what we love and believe in.
At Thirteen Fit, we embrace all parts of the journey. This collection embraces our past, where we come from, who we are, and what we stand for.
THE ADVENTURE COLLECTION: 2019
Everything up until The Adventure Collection was focused on the serious side of the journey to our #ultimateself: the hustle. hard work. hardship. dedication. strength. power. stability.
While all of those things are important, we realized that there was more to this journey than just that; this collection was inspired by the other side of the journey: risks. balance. fun. freedom. excitement. adventure.
Good things come from working hard but let's not forget all the good things that come from adventure!! New experiences promote growth, opportunity, and understanding. Not to mention, taking risks puts the pressure on to do more, to be more - rather than sitting stagnant in our comfort zone.
Straight up: this wasn't planned. 2020 hit us ALL hard and that includes small businesses. We went from doing multiple events per month to zero, our custom business stood still, and online shopping slowed down. The world was flipped upside-down and none of us knew what was going to happen or how to cope. Sitting by myself in quarantine, I was racking my brain. How can I keep this business afloat?
I spent most of our down time donating designs in order to help other small businesses bring in income during this difficult time, I worked with United in Movement to raise money for COVID related efforts - but at the end of the day, the business was suffering financially. I knew I had to do something.
I took existing t-shirts that we had in stock for some time, bleached them, custom cut them, and launched them. And it worked. We sold out almost immediately. Then we made more. Sold out. Then we made more. Sold out.
To us, although they weren't planned like our other collections, they have come to mean so much more than cute shirts that we bleached. These shirts saved us at a time when things felt so unsure. These shirts gave us hope and strength to keep pushing the brand. These shirts reminded us of our resilience and our determination to keep growing even when growth seemed impossible.
We wanted to create a project that would go beyond the surface and to find a way to amplify voices from members of our community - so we collaborate with my friend Kim Sealy of Fit Appeal by Kim Sealy.
Celebrate Diversity came together over 13 words that have represented the year 2020: community, empowerment, vulnerability, passion, leadership, growth, movement, individuality, fearlessness, diversity, authenticity, resilience, hope. 13 members of our community participated and shared their perspective and journey in relation to their word.
This campaign left a feeling of love and togetherness; we couldn't be more proud to have partnered with Fit Appeal by Kim Sealy, our 13 friends who participated, and Project Onyx who we were able to donate to because of this campaign.
The Light Collection was inspired by all the dark that came at us over the past 2 years or so. It was full of negativity and darkness but it also gave us the opportunity to find positivity and light.
In a time where many of us felt hopeless, we realized that we are not alone, that it's ok to talk about mental health, that even if you couldn't go out you could still connect over technology, that even though gyms closed there were ways to move outside of the gym.
It can be very easy to get wrapped up in the difficulties in life - but this collection is a reminder that even when the world feels grim there are spots of light and those are the things we need to focus on and remember.
It's been one hell of a journey and can't wait to see where we go from here! Thank you for your love and support - without YOU, none of this would be possible.
Xo,
Paige
