Free Reign Style: Gigi Kitei and Liz Cook
Last month, I had the pleasure of interviewing Gigi Kitei and Liz Cook, co-founders of the Free Reign Everyday Tank with Built-in Bra on the podcast. I was introduced to them through my last podcast guest, Lori Gildea of The Pure Bag. I love meeting entrepreneurs this way, and always feel lucky getting to hear, and share their stories.
Childhood Friends & Business Partners
This duo’s story begins when Gigi and Liz were 7 years old, and they’ve been friends ever since. The pair launched their company, Free Reign, last summer in the middle of COVID.
Liz Cook and Gigi Kitei, co-founders of Free Reign
From an early age, both Gigi and Liz cited an entrepreneurial interest in different ways. In our interview, Liz talked about how she developed photographs of rockstars in her basement, while Gigi claims she had role models, like her parents, who helped inspire her entrepreneurship. Currently, Liz has a full-time position with World Resources Institute working on global sustainability issues, such as climate change. She says this work is a great grounding for what she and Gigi are doing in the apparel sector with Free Reign. Gigi’s background is marketing and promotions focused at both small and large ad agencies. She has always been interested in how new products solve everyday problems. Their unique areas of expertise form a perfect intersection that benefits their business.
Gigi says that they have complementary skills and take the lead in different areas. Gigi handles more of the marketing, social media, customer-facing side while Liz handles more product development and sourcing, which are directly related to sustainability.
“Like we started out as kids on the sports field, we have a partnership. It began with our friendship, mutual respect, and the different perspective that we both bring to business. We formalized our understanding with an operating agreement and above all put our friendship, health, and wellness above business matters.”
Why Start a Brand for Smaller Busted Women?
Liz authors a great article on the Free Reign blog that answers this question, but we further explored the motivation behind starting Free Reign in the episode.
The mission of their company is to create ultra-comfortable wardrobe essentials that celebrate a woman’s natural beauty, fit her active lifestyle and make her every day better. Free Reign is a line of ultra-comfortable wardrobe essentials for women who are tired of wearing uncomfortable bras. Their product is a reengineered tank top with a built-in bra.
Liz and Gigi sent me a sample and it was SO comfortable, versatile, durable, and flattering. I have worn this piece several times in the past few weeks under blazers, to workout, or while working from home.
After hearing about the development of the tank, I can understand why the product was so impressive to me upon trying it on and wearing it! In the episode, Gigi and Liz detailed their extensive 3-phase process of designing prototypes, wear testing, and wash testing.
Sustainability is Also Built-In
Free Reign’s commitment to environmental sustainability is literally built-(in)to their tank (pun intended).
“Sustainability is core to who we are as a business and is embedded in every decision we are making.”
The material of the tank itself is a specific cellulosic yarn made from tree pulp, sourced from forests that are sustainably managed. A challenge Gigi and Liz detailed was finding knitters who could work with the fabric. They managed to do so without compromising their commitment to sustainability.
Challenges, COVID, & Commerce
I asked Gigi and Liz about other challenges they have faced in the formation of their business, especially launching during COVID. They talked about how the pandemic has and is challenging us to think about how things will change when we return to “normal,” whatever that may be.
Gigi said, “What's great about the Free Reign Tank is while this moment presents an opportunity to rethink where we work and how we dress and how it will be forever changed, we definitely know that we’re not going back to power business suits, uncomfortable bras, and high heels and that well made comfortable clothes are here to stay. It's a little bit of a silver lining through this tough time.”
An additional challenge with COVID was that e-commerce was the only way to reach customers. Retail was not an option when Gigi and Liz were thinking it would be. Trying on the tank before buying was out of the question. Since the large brands have shifted away from brick and mortar and have far greater budgets driving customers to their e-commerce platforms, Gigi explained that it is really hard for small startups like Free Reign to pay for advertising to get exposure. According to the pair, nevertheless, they are persevering through this challenge and have managed to gain quite a following in their short existence.
“We’re resilient, strong, and persevering.”
The Future of Free Reign
I asked Gigi and Liz where they see Free Reign in the next 5 - 10 years. Liz pointed out that while successful often means selling a lot, they are “not interested in fueling overconsumption or fast fashion.” With her background as an environmentalist, Liz said, “One thing that my hope is for the next 5, even 10 years out is that our brand is part of a movement of a return to quality and durability and products that have a lot of uses in versatility so that we don't over consume.”
They also said that in terms of product offerings, they have a cropped prototype that they hope to take into production soon. They plan on expanding the color offerings of the Everyday Tank.
Before the interview concluded, Liz explained that the inspiration behind Free Reign was to move freely throughout the world. I, for one, can’t wait until COVID clears to move freely wearing my Free Reign Everyday Tank.
The full podcast episode is live and available on all standard streaming platforms. Check out my full conversation with Gigi Kitei and Liz Cook here.
Follow Free Reign on Instagram and Facebook and shop their website to get your Everyday Tank with built-in bra top, too!
Gigi and Liz have extended our readers a 10% discount. Use the code BUILTINBRA on their site to try out the Everyday Tank today!
