Fashion

Howard graduate launches sweat-absorbing gym wear

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Zoezi gym wear it seeks to inspire women to be fit and fearless. photo |courtesy

Gone are the days of simple athletic wear sold in one style, colour and restricted to a particular workout.

Zoezi Sports, a Kenyan-grown brand, is bringing into the market versatility to active wear at a time when many people are flocking gyms and running tracks for exercises and mindfulness classes.

The brand created by Yvonne Bulimo seeks to inspire women to be fit and fearless.

“You can wear my jumpsuit to the office with a blazer and heels and still look good. You can wear the jumpsuit with sneakers and step into the gym looking fashionable,” said the 31-year-old whose designs are inspired by her style.

Zoezi designs sportswear and fitness clothing including caps, sports bra, track-jackets, gym bags and leggings.

While the clothes are currently only in black, grey and purple, plans are on course to introduce more interesting colours such as lime green, red and blue.

Zoezi, which launched in Los Angeles, USA in November last year, currently focuses on women products.

“It really does not matter if you are into yoga, boxing, running or going out for coffee with friends, these styles are as functional as they are fashionable,” says Ms Bulimo, who holds a Bachelor of Science in Health Science from Howard University.

She works as a clinical trial manager in the US where she oversees pharmaceutical, oncology and clinical trials.

Being a fitness enthusiast who is conscious about her looks, Ms Bulimo started considering coming up with a sportswear brand that appeals to her tastes back in 2012.

But frequent travel and inadequate starting capital had seen her postpone unveiling of the brand to 2017.

“I designed my first design with me in mind. I dislike seeing sweat in certain areas so the design I came up with had more absorption capacity in those particular areas,” she said.

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Being a fitness enthusiast who is conscious about her looks, Ms Bulimo started considering coming up with a sportswear brand that appeals to her tastes back in 2012.

For instance, the Ultra Flex legging designed for high physical performance is smooth and sleek enough to workout in and go out in.

It features a high rise body sculpting design and detailed with mesh panels that add ventilation while moisture-wicking technical fabric keeps you cool in motion.
The extra pocket space in the leggings are for keys and phone. The leggings can be worn with matching sports bra for an elevated active look.

Zoezi products are manufactured at a plant in the US and are sold through e-commerce across the globe. When Ms Bulimo started working out in Kenya, she was aiming at losing weight but now she wants to tone up and keep fit.

This is what inspired the fashionista who credits her entrepreneurial bone on her mother, a realtor in the US, to come back home and cater for the Kenyan sporty women.

She says her focus right now is on building the brand and once it has gained prominence, she will start considering opening a store in Kenya.

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