Today we’d like to introduce you to Kirsten Halik.
Kirsten, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
In college, I was poisoned by carbon monoxide in my school apartment. As I laid in a coma for 24 hours, the doctors prepared my parents for my passing. Thankfully I survived, and from that day forward I knew I needed to leave my mark on the world with the life I’ve been given back. In the years following the poisoning, I suffered from waves of deep depression. I was always active growing up, but it took being in such a low place in my life to truly realize how important fitness and movement was to my mental health. I think for a lot of women especially, fitness becomes more about losing weight or looking a certain way and not about the joy it makes you feel when you move your body. I want to bring the MAGIC of working out to women! Growing up as fairytale lovers, we relate to the struggles and are inspired by the strengths of our favorite fictional heroines. If we can channel even the smallest amount of magic and confidence by wearing a piece of workout gear inspired by them to push through our workout, we can be unstoppable!
Founding this brand has been my second chance at life. I feel magical when I work on Crowned Athletics, and I want that same feeling for women when they wear it!
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Crowned Athletics was created in October 2016 and since then, it has been a fast and steep learning curve of building a business, learning how to manufacture apparel from scratch, and creating a community of fantasy and fitness loving women. Being new to the apparel manufacturing industry, I had no idea where to start. Thankfully, living near Los Angeles gave me access to many factories in the area in which I found my amazing woman-owned and operated factory located in the fashion district. Starting with a homemade prototype and self-taught technical sketches, my factory and I went through almost two years of pattern/sample making, testing sizes, selecting colorways, and so much more to finally arrive at my first professionally manufactured garment.
So far, I haven’t had any major epic fails, but building a business definitely hasn’t been easy. Currently, I work a demanding full-time job at an Architecture Firm, and I spend all my extra time hustling on Crowned Athletics. It’s tough to balance my job, business, family and friends along with my own personal time, health, and fitness each day. I may still be far off from quitting my day job and going full time with Crowned Athletics, but I know for sure that I picked something I am truly passionate about!
We’d love to hear more about your business.
Crowned Athletics is where Fantasy meets Fitness.
It is stylish and high-quality athletic & athleisure wear for mermaids, princesses and heroines! What would your favorite fictional character’s outfit look like if she shopped at the same modern activewear stores we do? The idea is to empower your inner character to express individuality, femininity, and charm. Wear to the gym, to the Disney or Universal Theme Parks, as part of your run Disney race day costume, or for a comfy/casual cosplay!
Each piece of Crowned Athletics is a product of years of hard work and passion – designing, developing, and testing each detail for quality, style, and functionality! These aren’t screen printed tees or punny graphic designs. These pieces are sleek, modern, and unique takes on your favorite character’s actual fashion. I am most proud of the personal messages I receive of women feeling strong, empowered, and beautiful when they wear my designs.
Where do you see your industry going over the next 5-10 years? Any big shifts, changes, trends, etc?
I think we are seeing a shift in the health and fitness industry to be more accessible to all. You do not have to look like an athlete to be a member of the community and to want to work on your health. More than often, advertising in fitness shows a lot of extremes which can be discouraging and unrepresentative of most of the population. The emergence of the body positivity movement and being more open about our mental health will hopefully bring a better balance to people’s lives. I hope this balance (along with cute activewear 😉) will encourage EVERYONE to make their physical and mental health a priority!
Contact Info:
- Website: crownedathletics.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crownedathletics/
- Facebook: facebook.com/crownedathletic
- Other: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCm0H5KU-NvYySQgsBrKGZ6g
Image Credit:
Purple Mermaid Photo – James Donnelly Photography
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