Today we’d like to introduce you to April Giangeruso.
April, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Ever since I took my first ballet class at five years old, I knew I wanted to be a ballerina. Originally from Maryland, I began training seriously in ballet at age ten. At age 16, I was asked to join my dream company American Ballet Theatre (ABT) in New York City. My journey in the ballet world feels like a fairytale.
My mom, Kathy, is an award-winning seamstress specializing in non-stretch garments like suits and other clothing. I begged her to try to sew with stretch and make leotards for me because I knew she could do it! So I bought her a special machine and worked with her on a summer lay-off from ABT to make our first leotard. We are both perfectionists so it was a bit of a process developing what we thought was the “perfect” simple silhouette leotard in 4 different styles. I started selecting fun prints for her to sew with and every time I would wear one everyone would ask me where my leotard was from. Before long, the women at ABT were requesting leos and I brought about 30 in one day. They were all gone within 5 minutes and the ABT dancers affectionately named them Momtards. We continued taking requests from ABT dancers and I was also getting requests from around the world on my Instagram. I was thinking of starting a real company one day and when I met my now husband, Blake, who is a businessman, he helped me to make my dreams a reality. We named the company Chameleon by April Giangeruso because number one, I love Chameleons and it is the absolutely appropriate name for the way I love to change up prints so much! Also, in the dance world everyone wants to be called a Chameleon because it means you adapt and change easily to anything that is thrown your way!
Now at almost our 3rd anniversary, we have diversified our leotard styles and added leggings and skirts to the mix. We are proud to be sold in many stores across the country and worldwide. It has been the thrill of a lifetime to be developing such a fun and successful company!
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Just adjusting to the world of business and not getting too rattled if anything goes wrong. For example, in the beginning we had a bit of a production hiccup and I couldn’t get leotards to customers as quickly as I wanted to. I started to get upset by it but then when I started emailing with customers to let them know about the delay, everyone was so patient and supportive. It was like they were all on my team. It was a great feeling to know that people want you to succeed and that gave me a lot of confidence going forward. Chameleons have also been so popular that we have had trouble keeping them in stock! We are constantly amping up production and making it so that we have a steady flow of inventory to please everyone!
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
What sets Chameleon apart from other dance and activewear companies is our focus on bold prints and simple styles. We never make over-complicated constructions. Our customers select prints based off of their personal style and the person together with the print lets her personality shine. We are all about personality! Also, we are not just a dancewear/activewear brand; we want the leotards to cross over into lifestyle. Nothing makes me happier than seeing girls wear their Chameleons with jeans or shorts! It’s really catching on. Most all of our bodysuits can also be worn as swimsuits so that is super cool too!
Who else deserves credit in your story?
It has been so fun doing this with my friends at ABT. Every woman who has been involved in Chameleon has inspired me in their own unique way. I just love all of the ABT dancers so much. This brand doesn’t happen without them! A special shout-out to my friend Katherine Williams who has been my right-hand woman with planning and organizing etc.
My husband is my collaborator for the business side of things. I always say he’s the smartest person I know. My Mom of course who first developed the patterns and she still helps a lot with fit, quality control, and developing new products.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.chameleon.fit
- Instagram: @chameleonactivewear
- Facebook: Chameleon by April Giangeruso
Image Credits:
1- Hanna Bass 2-Taylor Brandt 3-Cassandra Trenary 4, 7, 8 – Alex Dimattia 5, 6- Raquel Beauchamp
