I deal with a lot of small to medium businesses. I like it, it’s personal and fun and there’s a bit of creative freedom in it for me. Which I love. Every now and then, one comes along that I realise is a bit different. FitPink is one of those.
Breda Canning modelling here for FitPink. Check out Breda’s Instagram (if you don’t already) this is one of Donegal rising stars. @breda.canning
At the first meeting with the F!tPink team I knew this was a different ball game. The sportswear they produce is unbelievable quality, I love the thoughtfulness of the details - such as pockets for your phone, the fact the leggings are wick-proof and that they kind of hold you in a bit (which is amazing if you aren’t at your fitness goals just yet).
The colours are gorgeous and even though I’m not a fitness fanatic myself, I do have an eye for quality 10\10 for that. (Trust me, when I am shooting clothes all day long and they refuse to sit right, I do appreciate when something is well made).
Several local women here on our first editorial shoot back in the summer last year.
The brief given to me was not what I’m used to: happy, fun and relatable. (anyone who follows my fashion work knows that I err toward mysterious and ethereal and never any smiling LOL)
I had thought that working with untrained models would be difficult, but happily I was wrong. All of the shoots so far have been a lot of fun and pretty easy.
Kerry is currently studying medicine at Trinity!!
FitPink understands marketing. More specifically, the value of having each item shot in two very different ways. The editorial shoot (which gives your customers lifestyle inspiration and is a bit more interesting to look at) and also a studio image (which shows what customers can expect on receiving their order from you. It’s proven to give consumers more confidence at time of purchase that what they are looking at on screen is in fact what they will get)
These images feature the very beautiful Marion (who works in Magee’s head office team) and the gorgeous Donegal Rose Chloe.
!NTERV!EW!
Out of curiosity, I sat down and asked the founder of F!tPink a few questions about the thought process behind her brand:
So, how did you come up with the business name?
I wanted a name that represented real women and would resonate with them. And I think that real, normal women can be fit and love their fitness pursuits but not have to take them too seriously. Fitness is an important part of our lives, but for real women with busy lives, its not necessity ALL of our lives. So FitPink represents the strong and soft contradiction that we as women can be - both mentally and physically !
Why did you decide to set up?
Partly because I couldn’t find leggings that were functional and flattering. After 4 children, my tummy isn’t rock hard and leggings that sit low on the abs are definitely not flattering ! I wanted to create something that was functional, flattering and affordable.
Partly because I have been an entrepreneur for the past 25 years and it's just in my DNA to see an opportunity and want to explore it.
Why use real women as models?
We are not, and do not aspire to be like other leggings brands that are all about the bubble butt and tiny waists. We are a brand created for real women with realistic body shapes. Our models are gorgeous women with real bodies who are not professional models, but are fit and look after themselves. We don't photoshop our models either. We might colour correct the overall image, but we don't and will never alter our models shape or size.
What is your company ethos?
We are a small company with values. We believe strongly in supporting girls and the power of education to change not just a girls life, but her children’s lives and further generations. For every pair of leggings we sell, we donate to Plan International Ireland’s Because I Am A Girl campaign and we always will. This is a long term commitment from us, its not a 'strategy' or a marketing campaign - it's part of our core.
We also believe in doing our bit to lessen our impact on the environment as much as we can. Starting with our packaging with is 100% compostable, and our tissue paper is recyclable. We definitely are not perfect, and there are a lot of ways we can improve how we do business to lessen our impact on the environment, but we are making progress!
What are your goals now?
We have big ambitions to grow FitPink. We have been so lucky to have received so much support from our customers since we launched. Word of mouth is so powerful and customers choose FitPink because a friend / neighbour / colleague has them and loves them.
We will bring on additional items to our range in 2020 and we are just about to launch in our first retail customer.
Watch this space !!
Zuzanna (who is a certified PT) & Breda (who is also a certified PT) doing some fun shots in the studio!
I’m really happy with how the F!tPink website and social media platforms are looking. Taking pictures is amazing, I love doing it, but there is little to compare to seeing them live on my client’s website. It is an honour to be a part of another success story!
Do go check out the website and buy yourself something. I may actually start exercising one of these days, to justify buying some F!tPink stuff myself.
https://fitpinkfitness.com/
Baaa.
