On June 27, Santa Monica’s trendy Third Street Promenade welcomed the new Athleta retail store. This brand, owned by the Gap Inc., provides female fitness enthusiasts with stylish clothes for yoga and other pursuits. Spacious, bright, and upbeat, Athleta Santa Monica celebrates and empowers the female form with flattering apparel and their “Power to the She” philosophy.
Athleta combines a community-minded and eco-friendly commitment with its retail presence. One example of this is S.Cafe, a natural and sustainable product produced in part from used coffee grounds. When woven into fabric, S.Cafe helps reduce odor, provides a UV light filter, and is quick drying. On the community front, Athleta opens their space for an eclectic schedule of free fitness classes including a running group, Zumba, yoga, and even kickboxing. In the Santa Monica store’s first month, Athleta featured yoga classes hosted by Hot 8 Yoga, including Hot Power Fusion, Yoga Barre, and Yoga Sculpt. “Yoga can be intimidating for beginners, especially in Santa Monica.” said Joanna Bateman, manager at Hot 8. “We are thrilled to hold classes at Athleta, as it encourages women of all pursuits to give yoga a try. Runners and hikers benefit from the stretching and strengthening of asana practice, and our staff keeps the classes fun and informal.”
Athleta
1318 Third Street Promenade
Santa Monica, CA
(310) 393-3040
By Kiara Justine Kinghorn, a ballet dancer and Sphota Yoga Teacher Trainee who holds a BA in English and a BFA in Dance from UC Santa Barbara.
Kiara Kinghorn is a cardio-dance enthusiast, writer and editor for LA Yoga Magazine, and manager at The BOD by Kym.