Bemis set out to create what she calls "a clean activewear company" that uses as few plastic materials as possible. That led her to launch Reprise, which currently offers a range of items like leggings, shorts, and sweaters.
All Reprise products are made with more than 90 percent plant-based materials like trees and cotton, primarily through the use of the plant-based fibre Tencel. Tencel fibres come from eucalyptus trees grown in sustainably managed forests intended to be used for fibre production. That means trees are planted and harvested to meet fibre demands without depleting the forest.
"It was very difficult to find the right material to work with and stay true to those values, as it really hasn't been done widely in activewear," Bemis says.
Reprise leggings still contain seven percent spandex, but the brand is on a mission to make that percentage plant based as well, especially as consumer demand for more sustainable options in the activewear category continues to rise.
Image Source: Reprise