In 2010, First Lady Michelle Obama announced her Let’s Move campaign, an initiative that encouraged children to prioritize their health and wellness. While this system centered kids, the highlight was on Mrs. Obama’s body as a substitute.

Political commentators began specializing in Obama’s muscular frame and compared her figure to other public figures, which opened the door to a bigger conversation about Black women and their bodies.

This wasn’t lost on Kia Phillips and Nekol Gaskin.

In 2016, they got here along with a shared vision to create a brand, Glamourina, that encapsulated the Black diaspora while empowering women to feel at home of their bodies.

This was a daring goal, considering that despite the widespread fodder in regards to the state of Black women’s fitness, the group was largely underrepresented within the activewear market. Despite being valued at $303.44 billion within the U.S., you’d be hard pressed to see a race and size inclusive ad for the larger athletic wear brands. “We almost never saw women that looked like us showcased in commercials, billboards or anything like that,” said Philips.

What began as a blog highlighting Black fashion designers, the busy mothers decided to make the leap and create their very own apparel to deal with the disparate representation within the activewear industry. Philips, who’s an authorized personal trainer, and Gaskins, a graphic designer, brainstormed concepts for fitness-inspired outfits that complimented Black women’s frames and tones.

“We were very intentional about making the brand culturally inspired,” Gaskins said, explaining that a key focus of their brand was celebrating the Black heritage in every bit of clothing. That is evidenced by their logo, which is a silhouetted shape of Africa. In addition they draw influences from Kente and Ankara prints, which could be seen in among the brand’s designs.

“We hadn’t seen that done on the time, and still today, only a few businesses are doing what we’re doing,” Gaskins shared with Essence. “So I feel once we recognized the necessity, we were like, as mothers, we don’t wish to let ourselves go. Let’s maintain our bodies. Let’s maintain our self care. And the indisputable fact that Black women weren’t put into the forefront of those fitness ads for major brands, we desired to do something about that.”

The mompreneurs launched the brand lower than six years ago, and have already made significant waves in the style space. They recently announced that Glamourina shall be a headlining designer for The Model Experience Recent York Fashion Week show on September eleventh. “We’re really honored because this show may have plenty of big names in attendance and Glamourina shall be showcasing alongside celebrity designers including Project Runway finalists,” said Philips.

She also stated that this was a big accomplishment for them each because they’re each still working full-time jobs along with running their company–not to say they’re mothers as well. “It’s demanding in any respect, but we’re committed to reminding other women, and one another that we will accomplish our dreams so long as we don’t ignore ourselves in the method.”