LiCi Fit Is the Activewear Brand Made for Strong Women Wanting Cute Gear
Here at Sweety High, we're avid believers of making health and fitness a priority.
Whether you're a gym-goer, into yoga, pilates, boxing, running, dancing or something else, we think it's so important to keep your body moving! However, we don't always feel like being active, and we're sure you, too, can relate. So, what do we do when we aren't feeling motivated? We throw on our cutest workout set and get to it!
LiCi Fit is a women's athletic brand made for both the fitness enthusiast and fashionista in mind. We wanted to learn all about LiCi Fit, what sets them apart from other brands and some of their most popular products. Keep scrolling for our full interview with the founders Liz and Cinée, where they give us all the info.
Sweety High: Tell us a bit of your story and background!
Liz: I grew up in Houston, Texas and ever since I could walk, I danced. I trained in prestigious programs my whole life with aspirations of becoming a professional dancer, only to watch those dreams vanish after a career-ending injury in 2013. I was at a crossroads—"What do I do with my life now?" I had to recalibrate and piece my life back together somehow, and I found that healing through fitness.
Fitness motivated me and helped me gain the confidence that I had lost—it gave me a reason to keep going. I wanted to help other women gain that same confidence and self-worth through helping themselves, so I pursued a career in personal training. Six years ago I met Cinée. We instantly got along and have been attached at the hip ever since. Despite so many people saying "Don't start a business with your best friend," we beat the odds and started LiCi. I love the sisterhood we are building with not only our team, but the entire community of LiCi women. I have found a whole new purpose and I hope to inspire women around the world to find theirs.
Cinée: I was born and raised in the Bay Area in California. I was a young girl with big dreams and was always into fashion. I would get caught in my mother's closet trying on all her shoes and clothes while standing in the mirror admiring it all. At an early age, my love for fashion landed me at a retail job and I grew to love sales. Throughout the years, I worked at various stores including Nordstrom and Bebe where I propelled myself into achieving the top sales goals with the companies.
I moved to L.A. in 2015 for a fresh start and to pursue my dreams in fashion. I didn't know anyone or a single thing about L.A., truthfully I didn't even have a plan, it was a huge leap of faith! In my first few months of living in L.A., I met Liz and we instantly became best friends. She took me to my first workout class and I fell in love. Being the fashion enthusiast that I was, I would always be on the hunt for cute matching sets that were also bright and colorful. I had trouble finding styles that I would like that weren't boring or toned down, then when I finally did, I had to take them to get tailored to improve the fit. One conversation led to another, and Liz and I came up with the plan to launch our own brand. We became the perfect duo. The rest is history!
SH: Why did you create LiCi Fit?
Liz and Cinée: In 2017, we were both in the fitness industry and known for our Instagram workout videos in bright matching sets. We had trouble finding gym apparel that was vibrant, functional and flattering. We decided to turn our frustration into inspiration and created LiCi. After a year of researching and sourcing, we landed on the buttery fabric and perfected the fit—the second skin you feel sexy in.
Since then, LiCi, a combination of Liz + Cineé, has grown into an incredible, tight-knit community of women gaining worldwide recognition. Every collection of colorful, buttery soft LiCi pieces are limited quantities and made by hand so you know you're getting a unique piece. Our fanbase consists of celebrities and influencers who have purchased the product organically, including Kylie Jenner, Anastasia Karanikolaou, Vanessa Hudgens and many more. With a lot of exciting projects on the horizon, we continue to drive LiCi's mission to be anything but basic.
SH: Tell us about your production process. How often are there new drops?
Liz and Cinée: Everything is designed here in Los Angeles with our all-female team. We work hand in hand with our manufacturer and designer to perfect the colors, prints and styles. There is nothing that we don't have our eyes on. We find inspiration and ideas any and everywhere. Whether it's a painting we see at a coffee shop, a color that we love or a unique pattern. We recently created a print from one of our friends' nail designs! Stay tuned—it's coming in early fall 2021!
SH: What is the most popular product(s) on your site?
Liz and Cinée: The V-Cut Scrunch ($85) is the most popular, with High Waist Scrunch ($85) as a close second. Between the two, we believe they can flatter any size or shape—the wow factor is all in the booty!
SH: What product does every girl need to have?
Liz and Cinée: We pride ourselves on creating styles for all body types, but our Scrunch Leggings and shorts are what we're known for. Let's be real, it's 2021 and it's all about the booty. Big or small, round or flat, all booties matter and the scrunch design is going to make you give yourself a double take in the mirror! The design process came from that same desire to feel sexy and stand out when working out. We wanted that extra little motivation and encouragement. When you feel good, you look good! Women all around the world are loving the confidence they get when they put on their LiCi. It's time to be unapologetic about our curves and flaunt what your mama gave you!
SH: What activities do people typically do while wearing your products?
Liz and Cinée: Our original vision obviously was to create athletic wear—pieces to be worn in the gym, at yoga classes, running, etc., but as the times have changed and especially now after COVID, athleisure wear has become the everyday go-to outfit for most women. We have loved seeing how our LiCi babes transform their pieces—throwing on a denim jacket over a set, pairing the tank top with some bell bottom jeans as a cute crop top, even rocking some heels! That's another amazing aspect of our brand—any woman with any style from any background can make it their own.
SH: What sets LiCi Fit apart from other activewear brands?
Liz and Cinée: LiCi is an all-women team, we encourage growth within our company and want our employees to feel like they're part of something bigger than just really, really great leggings. The same goes for our models and everyone we collaborate with. Anyone can put beautiful prints on leggings, but building a loving, inclusive, hard working, supportive work environment? That takes thought, intention and balance. As a brand based in L.A., it can be really easy for many workplaces to feel competitive and maybe even uncomfortable at times, but we're known for creating great environments no matter what we're doing. For our new collections, we create really unique concept shoots that are specific to the print. Our models always leave the experience telling us how grateful they are to work with our team and how we're really helping to change the industry.
SH: Anything else we should know?
Liz and Cinée: Our goal at LiCi is to create a "Legacy Beyond Leggings." We don't want to be just any other athletic brand. We want to create a community of women all over the world who are empowered, strong and confident. Putting on LiCi should be an experience and we want that to flow over into every aspect of our customers' lives. Prior to COVID, we held annual vision board parties, boot camps and wellness events. It's important to us to bring women together and connect, we want everyone to shine together—in LiCi of course!
Love finding athletic apparel companies with cute clothes? Look HERE to learn all about the female-founded activewear brand Onzie.