Athletes who are mothers often experience the extra pressures and time constraints of planning adventures not just for themselves but for every member of their household. The debut of a new online marketplace might have just made that burden a little easier. Created by two surf and ski loving moms, is a new online retailer, launched in March, showcasing brands that make fashionable and functional activewear for women, men, and kids.
鈥淲e want to make sure that the brands we carry look great for women, but also are quality pieces that are comfortable and can hold up to whatever activity you throw at them,鈥 co-founder told OBJ. 鈥淭hese clothes have pockets you can actually put things in, that breathe while you鈥檙e skinning uphill, that hold up in the surf. We want moms to be out there riding those waves, hiking those hills and skiing those slopes with their families and look good doing it.鈥
The idea of a one-stop website where moms can easily find quality clothes for their active families without juggling 鈥20 open tabs鈥 was born out of Thomas鈥檚 and co-founder 鈥檚 mutual frustration at having to spend hours searching multiple sites looking for well-made clothes for women athletes that also look good. Thomas and Zilkha鈥檚 children attended the same school in Manhattan, and the two became friends during the time they鈥檇 spend organizing school fund-raisers.聽聽
鈥淪ara and I spent the better part of two years together, day in and day out, organizing auctions and benefits for the school,鈥 Thomas told OBJ. 鈥淪he has a background in nonprofit work, and I was in the music industry, so our talents for spinning lots of plates really meshed.鈥
Thomas, an accomplished surfer, would also organize annual womens鈥 surfing trips for her friends. She invited Zilkha along on one of these trips, and Zilkha was hooked immediately. By their second trip together, Thomas said she and Zilkha were discussing how difficult it is to find functional, stylish athletic women鈥檚 clothing.
From that conversation, the idea of an online marketplace serving that very need came to life. The more they discussed their idea, the more it made sense as a business, Thomas said.
鈥淲e started asking our friends if they鈥檇 be interested in a site like this and they all said, 鈥榃e need that yesterday,鈥欌 Thomas said.
Since launching in March, sales are exceeding expectations, according to the founders. Salt + Snow has nine employees and a growing stable of brand partners. Already the company is struggling to keep up with requests for new partnerships. The list of brands already on board includes Left on Friday, Revo, Xcel, Cynthia Rowley, Alps & Meters, and Aloha Marina. All brands represented by Salt + Snow are either fair trade, BIPOC owned, or otherwise have sustainability and social commitments in place, Thomas said.聽
鈥淲e really are making sure we鈥檙e working with partners who share our desire to make the earth a better place, to keep our footprint low,鈥 Thomas said. 鈥淚t can be difficult and expensive for young companies to be sustainable, so we want to do what we can to support companies that are doing good out there. We鈥檙e trying to be conscious every step of the way.鈥
In addition to retail, Salt + Snow has a community blog called the that includes articles on destinations, health and wellness, family travel, interviews with brand ambassadors, and tips for picking up adventure sports.
鈥淚 remember when I was getting into surfing and I didn鈥檛 know anything; I was so grateful for any information people shared,鈥 Thomas said. 鈥淚 wanted to create a space where women can feel comfortable coming to learn.鈥
Thomas said that, in the future, she and Zilkha plan to launch their own activewear brand, but for now are focused on promoting their partners and supporting organizations like the .
鈥淲e know we can be successful elevating our brand partners, elevating our employees, and elevating one another,鈥 Thomas said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e out to help women pursue their passions and look good doing it, while hopefully doing some good.鈥