New ‘athleisure’ brand launches with hybrid bra
Announcing “a fresh chapter of responsible innovation in athleisure,” Hawaii-based SOL VAE announced its public launch and the availability of its innovative hybrid bra—a multifunctional garment designed for active experiences on land and water.
“What began as an effort to combine the best of my sports bra and swim tops, evolved into a multi-year journey of thoughtful product innovation alongside global sustainability and apparel experts,” said Founder and CEO, Bridget Thorpe. “We’re ready to help people rethink athleisure products and relationships, and grateful to share how we do business in Hawaii—where the community connects through a responsibility and stewardship of the environment.”
A former Fortune 500 sustainability advisor, Thorpe said she founded the company out of the desire for a versatile, responsibly-made product that supported an active lifestyle both on land and in her hometown Hawaiian waters. Aware of hybrid garments in mens athletic wear, she collaborated with design experts over years to thoughtfully manufacture and redefine the athletic staple. SOL VAE hybrid bras are designed in Hawaii, use regenerative fibers from Italy, and are cut-and-sewn in the USA.
SOL VAE is a recent alumni of XLR8HI’s preX, a Hawaii-based entrepreneurial accelerator.
The sustainable athleisure market is projected to surpass $115 billion globally by 2027. Thorpe saw a vanguard opportunity to reimagine both product functionality through a woman’s perspective and development through the eyes of sustainability experts.
“I gained a behind-the-scenes look at how the largest companies in the world are advancing a more sustainable economy,” said Thorpe. “SOL VAE is launching carbon neutral for 2021, yet there is much work to be done. I look forward to all the places we’ll grow and learn as a community.”
Thorpe has also taken a thoughtful approach to other details of the business including using minimal packaging, not photoshopping women, providing a recycling resource, and embracing humane technology marketing practices. SOL VAE plans to unveil future hybrid bra styles, all under its thoughtfully curated impact rubric.
The woman-owned brand’s name is a nod to what Thorpe’s parents had originally planned to name her—Solveig, which can powerfully translate to “woman of the house.”
SOL VAE launches first in the United States. Its two inaugural hybrid bras are available on its e-commerce store at https://solvae.co.
About SOL VAE LLC
SOL VAE, founded in Hawaii, is a lifestyle brand known for its innovative hybrid bra. Carbon neutral at its launch in 2021, the founder-led company operates with its “thoughtfully curated” approach to responsibly meet the athletic and everyday needs of active women—on land and water. Its hybrid bra styles are made with regenerative Italian fibers, manufactured in the USA, and offer trusted design and performance benefits that support women’s versatile lives. SOL VAE currently serves customers in the United States through its eCommerce website. Further information is available at https://solvae.co. Follow SOL VAE on Instagram @sol_vae.
