Reprise Activewear
Reprise Activewear is an independent, women owned American activewear brand founded by Mary Bemis in 2018. It makes leggings, bras, tops and sweats mainly from plant based TENCEL fibre, aiming to remove plastics and chemicals from clothing.
| Founded | 2018 |
|---|---|
| Founder | Mary Bemis |
| Key material | TENCEL |
| Production | Portugal |
| Website | repriseactivewear.com |
What is Reprise Activewear?
Reprise Activewear is an independent, women owned brand launched in 2018 with the stated aim of removing plastics and chemicals from clothing. Its founder, Mary Bemis, began her career in finance before studying Sustainable Design Entrepreneurship at FIT, and launched the brand through a Kickstarter campaign in April 2018.
Products and positioning
The range covers leggings, shorts, capris and cropped flares, along with tanks, bras, bralettes and zip ups, unisex organic cotton sweatpants, headbands, a maternity line and a yoga collection. The main fabric is TENCEL, a plant based fibre, and the brand positions itself as one of the few making leggings without recycled plastic bottles. A small share of spandex remains in the fabrics, and the founder has described the search for bio based alternatives.
- Plant based TENCEL as the core fabric
- Organic cotton sweatpants
- Manufacturing partners in Portugal
Why it matters
Reprise is an example of a small direct to consumer activewear label challenging the reliance on synthetic fibres in performance clothing, a category dominated by polyester and nylon. Its plans for a fully biodegradable performance line developed with a Portuguese factory illustrate how material innovation is shaping smaller sportswear brands.
Frequently asked questions
Who founded Reprise Activewear?
Reprise Activewear was founded by Mary Bemis, who launched the brand via Kickstarter in 2018.
What is Reprise activewear made of?
Most pieces are made from plant based TENCEL fibre, with organic cotton used for its sweatpants.