THIRTEEN JOURNEYS

Over the past few weeks, I have introduced some extraordinarily inspiring friends who we couldn't be more grateful for. Not only for their willingness to participate in this project but for being open, authentic and vulnerable. Read more about them under the THIRTEEN JOURNEYS tab on the main menu!

This is our WHY. Why do we speak so much about the mind and body, strength, power and stability, ultimate self? This was our opportunity to dig deeper, connect with YOU on a more relatable platform. We all have a story; I think everyone's story is significant and can speak to or inspire others in some way or another.

The more I pour myself into this brand, the more I'm realizing that all I want to do is help people. This is my chance to make the brand more than just cool tees; I want it to be a brand that somehow can make you FEEL something--empowered, strong, able, excited--when you put a shirt on. It's more than getting dressed. It's getting your life set up for success.

Thirteen Fit Apparel is about a lifestyle. Sure, the "fit" in our name would make you think maybe we are only a fitness brand but we are much more than that. These stories aren't just about lifting weights and getting fit. These stories are about what brought us into fitness, they're about what kept us committed to fitness and self-love, they're about the relentless pursuit of Ultimate Self, they're about the uniqueness of everyone's journey.

-Paige

THIRTEEN JOURNEYS

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THIRTEEN UNDERGROUND

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ASBURY PARK SUMMER GAMES 2018

At the end of June, we made our way over to Asbury Park, NJ for the Asbury Park Summer Games 2018. Going to events like this is always exciting--it's an amazing opportunity to meet people rather than just interacting via our website or social media.

Photo by RX Images | @rximagesphoto

THE EVENT

I'm giving the Asbury Park Summer Games 5 stars, two thumbs up, a 10/10 rating. It was phenomenal. The energy in the Asbury Park Convention Hall was absolutely insane. From the moment we set up to the moment we packed up, it was non-stop.

Photo by RX Images | @rximagesphoto

Being a graphic design n' all, I was crazzzzy drawn to their branding and I will give credit where credit is due. Everything felt so cohesive and energetic. The colors, the logo, the apparel... even the lighting in the event space matched their branding vibe. It was really inspiring both as a designer and an athlete to be at this event. Watching athletes compete always gets me fired up but also seeing successful graphic design gets my creative juices flowing.

This was truly one of the best events we've attended. The best part was the level of connection I felt with all of the athletes at the Asbury Park Summer Games. The feeling of being able to spread our message to people is something I can't put into words--but to then SEE our shirts and our message splattered all over the Convention Hall was completely insane.

Everywhere I looked there were girls n' guys working out in the shirts, changing into the shirts post-workout, teams buying shirts to match each other, athletes wearing the shirts on the podium... THIRTEEN EVERYWHERE!

Two of my new favorite athletes sporting our 13U MAZE Crops... and coming in FIRST PLACE!
Photo by RX Images | @rximagesphoto

THE DESIGN

And now, I must give you the deets on our custom shirts we did! I worked with my friends Christina, Brenna, and Michelle on a competition tee for their team which we opened up to members at our gym to order, too. Because they were representing Concrete Jungle Strength + Conditioning, we decided to carry on the tradition of our gorilla mascot we've put on competition tees for the last few years.

The first time we used this guy/girl (not assuming its gender), it was for a competition called "Hail to the Queen" so we accessorized them with a crown.

The second time around, we used them for "Flex on the Beach 2017" so we put them in a beach setting with graffiti-punk-inspired-design meets retro-beach-vibes to tie in the city feeling (because, Concrete Jungle) and the beach. And obviously, we HAD to accessorize so Ray-Ban sunnies for the win.

THIS YEAR: the Asbury Park Summer Games 2018 (#APGames) was at the Asbury Park Convention Hall which is right on the beach. Again, total beach vibes.

I was more inspired by the concept of Concrete Jungle--mixing a skyline with tropical elements. It's cool because it's like a crossover between a literal representation of a concrete jungle but also ties in with the beach.

I wanted to blend two styles together to make it more dynamic. Typically, I design with clean lines and minimal shapes so I wanted to keep that but added in some more texture with the sand and with, you guessed it, our gorilla friend! Again, on the beach but he/she needed an updated accessory so this year, aviators! What a bad ass.

We added a little color and voila!

Interested in custom tee shirts for your team, event or gym? That's cool, we are, too! Shoot me an email at paige@thirteenfitapparel.com and let's start the conversation.

THE PHOTOS

The photos above from the event were taken by my newest photog friend, Matt of RX Images. I love meeting people at events who share the same passion for fitness as I do! I was so drawn to his photos because I felt like he was able to translate the energy and excitement of the event into a some really incredible images.

Photo by RX Images | @rximagesphoto

When I asked him to send me over some stuff about him, he said this and I just loved it:

Being a Cross-fitter myself it has inspired me to capture both motion and emotion in a raw and natural state. I strive to capture these moments that happen in a matter of seconds to share with the masses.

WELL. SAID. MATT.

Photo by RX Images | @rximagesphoto

Matt is a photographer + content creator located in Queens NYC specializing in Fitness, CrossFit, Portraits and Events.

Check him outttt

Website rximagesphoto.com

Instagram @rximagesphoto

Email rximagesphoto@gmail.com

Til next time,
Paige

Paige Festa

BEHIND THE DESIGN: IRON MAIDENS

Hey, it's the 13th!! Did you miss me?

This month, I want to talk about the shirts we did for the Iron Maidens Raw Open powerlifting competition 2 weeks ago.

Photo by Pratt | Media, @prattmedia

Before we get into design, I just want to throw out some history about this partnership. My wonderful friend, Morit (who you might remember from Thirteen Journeys!) connected me with Margie of Iron Maidens. Margie told me all about their mission; because they know it better than I do, I figure maybe it's easier to read this snippet from their website:

The Iron Maidens Stay Strong Scholarship was created to help women who don't have access to financial aid pay for higher-level education. The money we raise pays for 80% of college tuition for undocumented students, Dreamers, and women who have been victims of predatory for-profit colleges. Students in these financial situations have no access to financial aid dollars and the undocumented students are ineligible for most scholarships. Rather than selecting recipients based on common criteria such as grades or academic achievement, this scholarship rewards persistence—the grit and determination to keep going during hard times. We believe this recognizes and addresses the reality our students face, and also captures the essence of the Iron Maidens Competition. Now, more than ever, we are proud to be giving this necessary support to undocumented women who are working to improve their lives through education.

So, the event raises money to donate to this incredible scholarship... support other women? COUNT ME IN. Because who run the world? GIRLS.

It's really important to me to pay it forward; the whole purpose of Thirteen Fit Apparel is to help and empower people. To be real, MY whole purpose is to help and empower people... and just so happens design is my outlet. Projects like this, I LIVE FOR. So anyway, I teamed up with Margie to come up with a design for all the female athletes + the volunteers.

We did a lot of brainstorming; I was thinking about some wordplay.

Let's break it down:
Iron is one of the elements (hello, high school chemistry... which, by the way, I aced). The symbol on the Periodic Table is Fe.
Maidens... ladies. Female. Fe.

Minimal but clever, if I do say so myself. And always bold. I love bold design. So that's where we went. The "Fe" is the focal point, encased in a square just like on the Periodic Table... but look closely! That square is made up on empty barbells, heyyyyy. Below the "Fe" reads "6.2018." Instead of the atomic number, "6.2018" because that was the date of the event: June 2018.

I've got to say, there is nothing like being in a room full of people wearing something you designed... for such an important cause. The event was one of the best events I've ever attended. Women ROCKING the platform, moving all kinds of weights. There were ladies from ages 18-72! It was incredibly inspiring and the air had an amazing energy.

NOT ONLY did I get to be a part of the event, I got to meet other women entrepreneurs who always inspire me to keep going!

It was a great day for women, a great day for education, a great day for fitness and a great day for purposeful design!

Photo by Pratt | Media, @prattmedia

Interested in custom design? EMAIL ME! paige@thirteenfitapparel.com and let's get this party started.

'Til next time,
Paige

Paige Festa