Kahlana Barfield Brown Talks Bringing Fashion To…
When fashion, fitness, and espresso tradition collide, people concentrate, particularly when it includes Kahlana Barfield Brown. The famed designer not too long ago set social media abuzz when she announced her new collaboration with Starbucks, which incorporates a restricted version weighted vest and the Starbucks® Coffee & Protein Level Up Strava Challenge.
Source: Starbucks / Starbucks
BOSSIP contributor Liz Smith not too long ago caught up with the Seattle native to talk about the collaboration, her method to wellness, and why this partnership felt like a natural match.
A Weighted Vest, But Make It Fashion
The weighted vest, created in partnership with Brown and her fashion and lifestyle model KBB by Kahlana, retailed for just $22, a intelligent nod to the 22 grams of full protein discovered in every bottle of Starbucks® Coffee & Protein. The trendy fitness accent was designed to seamlessly match into trendy morning routines, serving to wearers transition from a neighborhood stroll straight into the remainder of their day without sacrificing fashion.
Source: Starbucks / Starbucks
For Brown, the collaboration felt natural from the start.
“This has been such an incredible partnership, I think, mainly for me because I really am this woman. I am this girl that really tries to prioritize my self-care and really trying to make the most out of my days to elevate my days and use my time wisely, especially as a mom, as a wife, and just having a family. My mornings are my me time and I wake up super early and I’m truly someone who wears a weighted vest. I know so many of my friends are too but there just haven’t been cute options on the market. So this was a dream partnership.”
Source: Starbucks / Starbucks
Let’s Get Into The Details
The partnership also represents a refreshing second in the wellness and lifestyle space, where ladies of coloration designers should not always given the highlight they deserve. Brown was in a position to design from her own lived expertise, making every element really feel intentional and genuine.
Available in XS/S, M/L, and XL/2X, the vest options detachable weights that could be swapped out for heavier choices. But maybe what made customers fall in love was the considerate silhouette and elevated design. The vest offered out within minutes, proving that shoppers have been craving a wellness accent that feels as trendy as it’s useful.
Source: Starbucks / Starbucks
One of Brown’s favourite particulars is the adjustable aspect ties.
“I love the ties on the side. I am someone who loves corsets and loves the femininity of that and loves that you can snatch your waist or you can loosen it up and make it very loose and the strings fall down. Also on the strings the tips of them are green. They’re dipped in green. And I just love that element of it. It’s so cute and just kind of like an unexpected pop of color.”
Source: Starbucks / Starbucks
Quality Was Non Negotiable
As anticipated from a fashion knowledgeable, cloth high quality was non-negotiable throughout the design course of. And just know the material alone used to create this vest was properly over $22.
“I’m very, very, very big on fabric quality. I just care a lot about the touch and the feel of fabric, so I wanted to make sure that this is something that felt good on, that the quality of the fabric felt good against your skin, even if you’re sweating. I wanted to make sure that it had the weight to it. You know, the zipper was sturdy, like all the details. I just wanted to make sure that it was quality, so I definitely obsessed over the fabrics.”
Advice For Aspiring Designers
Brown also shared helpful advice for aspiring designers hoping to land major model collaborations sooner or later.
“The biggest thing is to make sure that whoever you’re working with, that you align, in terms of values and just everything. For me, Starbucks was such a great partner. I grew up in Seattle, born and raised in Seattle, so it’s like a part of my childhood and my upbringing. So much about their brand aligns with who I am and I think that it shows. I think when you’re aligning with a brand partner you have to feel some type of connection. I have to feel that this is a true collaboration and there has to be some creative freedom because I don’t want to just put my name on something that isn’t really me, you know? And when a brand gives you that autonomy, I think that that is a signal that the partnership will go well.”
So… Will The Vest Be Restocked?
Now for the query flooding Brown’s social media remark part: will the vest be restocked?
Source: Starbucks / Starbucks
At the second, Starbucks is holding that reply under wraps. However, contemplating the vest disappeared virtually immediately and demand continues to grow, followers are actually making their voices heard.
In the meantime, hopeful customers still have another shot. New and current Strava customers can take part in the Starbucks® Coffee & Protein Level Up Strava Challenge through June 18. Participants are inspired to stroll or run 22 minutes a day for at least 10 days, another nod to the beverage’s 22 grams of protein. Completing the problem might put members one step nearer to scoring the coveted vest.
One factor is clear: this collaboration struck a nerve with ladies who need their wellness routines to work laborious and look good doing it. Starbucks and Kahlana could have created a restricted version merchandise, but the demand proves this trendy weighted vest motion is just getting began.
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The post Kahlana Barfield Brown Talks Bringing Fashion To Fitness With Starbucks, Sold-Out Weighted Vest & Stylish Self-Care [Exclusive] appeared first on GWN.
