Today we’d like to introduce you to Christine Reppa.
Christine, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I’ve had an entrepreneurial spirit since I was old enough to do the math. I remember wanting to purchase a boombox around age 8 so I started selling lemonade. Many years later while living and volunteering in Guatemala, my whole life changed and my purpose became more clear. I wanted to start a company that had a positive impact on the world.
Driven by my love of nature and outdoor activities, I moved to Colorado where I found and fell in love with yoga. But I noticed one problem while practicing yoga that I couldn’t seem to solve: my clothes kept moving around while going through the poses. It’s hard to get into a meditative state when your shirt is tickling your nose or your pants are falling down!
So after moving to Dallas I created a product called the Yogzi that solved the issue, started a yoga apparel company, and pledged to plant trees and support women.
Has it been a smooth road?
I think it’s safe to say the vast majority of entrepreneurial pursuits have many, many bumps in the road. For instance, I had no experience designing clothes. I had to learn the process, make several mistakes along the way, and pay for those mistakes with delays and/or cold hard cash! I hit bumps big and small all of the time. But to me, that’s part of the excitement.
Don’t get me wrong, it sucks when you’re in the middle of plowing through roadblocks or changing course to go around them. But I love to problem solve and get creative. Getting through the bumps is part of the journey and looking for solutions rather than feeling defeated is the only way to keep moving forward.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Noya story. Tell us more about the business.
The Yogzi is our most unique product that you literally cannot find anywhere else! It is our patent pending jumper designed to move with you from downward dog to tadasana to handstand. No more shifting clothes…because it’s all one piece! The supportive bra, the flattering top, and the super comfy leggings are connected for the most incredible flow.
Noya specializes in eco-ethical fashion. We are activewear designed by women for women. We have two major passions: nature and supporting badass babes who unapologetically follow their dreams no matter what limitations society tries to place on them.We focus on reducing our impact on the environment by planting ten trees for every item sold, use eco-friendly material, and source as locally as possible. Our designs are made in the USA, and a lot of them are made right in Dallas.
Our support of women is only natural. On and off of our clothes our messaging is designed to ignite the natural beauty and fierce warrior inside every girl and woman. Instead of using standard sizing, Noya uses the names of trees as sizes to honor each body shape which is unique and beautiful, like nature.
We offer top-quality, comfortable, and ethically produced apparel. The people behind the scenes are as much a part of Noya as the yogis on our Instagram feed. Everyone deserves a safe working environment and fair pay. So we only support production facilities which offer these standards to their employees.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
I hate to say it, but the fashion industry is one of the most wasteful industries in the world. I think we’ll see some major changes moving toward sustainability and more ethical practices both in fabrics and manufacturing.
Contact Info:
- Website: noyayoga.com
- Email: info@noyayoga.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/noya_yoga
- Facebook: facebook.com/noyayoga
- Twitter: twitter.com/noya_yoga
- Other: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCW2NM2xGLZoBshkJypL8DEA
Getting in touch: VoyageDallas is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
