British-Albanian fitness guru-turned-entrepreneur Krissy Cela has spent the past four years building the fast-growing activewear brand Oner Active.
Cela said the brand has grown 100 percent year-over-year to $60 million in revenue last year. At the same time, Cela is giving back to society, donating nearly $300,000 worth of activewear items to young schoolgirls in the U.K. to help them move their bodies. “I don’t just want a retail store. I think that’s not an experience. My dream would be to have a gym that has retail as a secondary element. We’re always open to things. I never shut off the idea of wholesale or collaborations with another brand. For example, we don’t have trainers and it would be a great idea to do a lifting shoe with a footwear brand,” she said, adding that the brand on Monday will release a new capsule called the Legendary.
“I have worked in lots of creative businesses over the years; in most cases bringing commercial energy was an effort. Typically you have a creative founder, and ultimately the brand is more driven by creative excellence than business excellence. And here, I found the perfect package. You don’t come across many businesses like this, authentic, independent, and growing like a weed, despite market conditions.
“We are at that happy medium where we don’t compromise in quality by making something exceptionally cheap. Likewise, we’re not going to charge $100 for a legging. The brand is accessible to any woman who wants to step foot in the gym and start training,” said Cela, adding that the most popular range, Effortless, which includes sports bars priced at $37 and leggings for $55, has sold nearly a million units.