Former Nike creative director on her novel athleisure label and the philosophy behind it
Kristin Hildebrand launched Wone because she couldn’t find designs that were both functional and beautiful, she says; her chic, minimal sportswear is a cinch to wear with anything and designed to withstand high-impact gym routines
“The brand is called Wone, pronounced won,” Kristin Hildebrand, referring to her line of minimal women’s performance wear, launched earlier this month.
The American fashion designer left her job as creative concept director at Nike two years ago and – after a brief hiatus – she is back with her first direct-to-consumer initiative. With decades of commercial success under her belt, she spotted a gap in the market for sleek workout basics that cater to women who are not into logos.
Wear the same clothes from morning yoga to evening cocktails – new concept in active wear from London fashion label
“A real and inspiring factor behind building Wone was the lack of versatile product on the market,” she says. “I was buying all of this stuff online and was disheartened by the absence of beautiful, and functional, design for women. I racked my brain, as I couldn’t believe it hadn’t been addressed, and then decided I had to do something about it.
“I took stock of my own personal shopping criteria and created a brand for women, like me, who are frustrated with the impersonal blueprint of the e-commerce business.
Wone is about taking these deeply Eastern philosophical concepts, (like simplicity, discipline, and silence), and applying them to your wardrobe
“With Wone, I’ve intentionally kept the production numbers low, so that I’m able to listen to feedback and have one-to-one interactions with every single woman who buys it.”
