Page 30 - MidWeek - Oct 6 2021

30 MIDWEEK OCTOBER 6, 2021
Racerback Sports Bra in Po ($75) and Full Length Leggings in Po ($75)
BY GINGER KELLER LAWRENCE TABUDLO PHOTOS
Fairly new to the local fashion scene is Kūmana Activewear, a sportswear brand that serves as a cumulation of owner/designer Chyloe Leon Guer- rero’s lifelong love for fashion, Hawaiian culture and her dedication to sustainability.
Currently carrying quality, easy-to-wear women’s sports bras, leggings and biker shorts (with tops, mens- wear, scrunchies and masks to come at a later time), Kūmana’s main focus is — and always will be — the en- vironment, which is why all fabrics are made from items such as fishing nets, carpet fluff, plastic bottles and tulle. Even what it’s wrapped in is environmentally friendly.
Scoop Neck Sports Bra in Kapa (originally $58; on sale for $39) and High Waist Leggings in Lepo (originally $65; on sale for $47)
Racerback Sports Bra in Lokelani ($75) and 7/8 Leggings in Lokelani ($70)
Racerback Sports Bra in Lepo ($75) and 7/8 Leggings in Lepo ($70)
“My goal is for Kūmana to serve as a role model for environmentally responsible and ethical businesses, to hold the fashion industry and Hawaiʻi accountable for a higher level of transparency and commitment to aloha ʻāina, and to prioritize the health and safety of humans throughout the garment supply chain,” says Guerrero. “I could never justify being in business if it meant I was contributing to plastic pollution, climate change or modern-day slavery via sweatshops.”
A University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa alumna, Guerrero always aspired to one day own her own brand. Losing her job during the pandemic gave her the push to finally make her dream come to fruition.
Racerback Sports Bra
in Manō ($75) and 7/8 Leggings in Manō ($70)
About how her brand got its moniker, Guerrero says, “I was in a yoga class led by a friend when we were standing in mountain pose, engaging every muscle in the body to stand immovable like a mountain. That’s when it hit me: in ʻōlelo, kū means “to stand” and mana refers to power or strength, especially divine. It also hints at my favorite ʻōlelo noʻeau: ʻHe ʻaʻaliʻi kū makani mai au, ʻaʻohe makani nāna e kulaʻi’ and the theme of resilience that has reflected throughout my life. The spirit of the brand is to remind us to be our best selves physically and spiritually, and to live pono.”
“I gave myself one week to grieve the loss of my job, and when that one week was up, I fully and actively in- vested myself in making Kūmana Activewear happen,” she says. “I knew if I didn’t commit to it now, I would never do it, and I would die regretting it.”
V-Neck Sports Bra in Kalo (originally $58; on sale for $39) and Bike Shorts in Po (originally $55; on sale for $39)
For more information, visit kumanaactive.com or check out the biz on Instagram (@kumanaactive).
MODEL: MEGHAN DOROSITS MODEL: KEELY NAKAMA
MODEL: MEGHAN DOROSITS
MODEL: MEGHAN DOROSITS
MODEL: KEELY NAKAMA
MODEL: KEELY NAKAMA