Local fitness brand empowers women and supports nonprofits
Erin Roddy loves running and being active, but she also likes to look good while she’s doing it. After discovering there wasn’t apparel out there that was fashionable and functional, she decided to create her own line of athletic wear: MEAS Active.
“MEAS Active is a women’s active and athleisure apparel brand located in Cincinnati,” she says. “Our mission is to empower women through their health and wellness journey while providing high-quality, technical and fashionable activewear and lifestyle apparel. We also give back to Girls on the Run Cincinnati with every purchase.”
While Roddy was searching for items that could hold up during a hard workout or long mileage, she wasn’t able to find anything that was both technical and fashionable. Not only did she want to find something that would endure and look good, Roddy wanted to help others. This was inspired by a two-week trip to Cambodia and Thailand with a nonprofit organization that helped survivors of sex trafficking.
“There, I met young girls who were rescued from sex trafficking and they had so much joy and hope within them,” she says. “While there, I also learned of an ancient proverb that said men are like gold; when dirtied, they can be shined off like new. Women are like white linen; once they are dirtied, they are dirtied. Not only did I see the opposite in those young girls while I was working there, but as a woman who has gone through many mental health challenges and have taken a very non-traditional path, I felt like I had overcome so much. We were shined and new.”
This birthed the idea that she could provide a clothing line for consumers that not only helped them look good but made them feel good about the business they were supporting.
“I knew there was a way to combine fashion and function,” she says. “After working in the NYC fashion industry for almost 10 years, I felt that fashion could do better.”
When you shop MEAS Active, you’ll find cozy joggers, long-distance marathon tights (with ALL the pockets), sports bras with light to heavy support and fashionable sets for the studio workout.
“It is a brand on a mission to empower women, support women and give back to our community,” she says. “I want this brand to be thought of as a place to come and be reminded how amazing you are, no matter what your path is.”
As for the new storefront at 1425 Vine St. in Over-the-Rhine, Roddy says that she designed the space and brought in the MEAS aesthetic and experience. She also spent time in Paris and New York to find inspiration from high-end stores and fashion exhibits like Dior and Chanel. She wants to provide customers with a modern retail experience while including classic elements that you can find in a luxury store in Paris. “The goal is to ensure that we have as many ‘Instagram-able’ experiences as we can throughout the space,” she says.