“What began as my way of staying focused and comfortable in hot yoga, became the foundation of confidence, comfort and sexiness the K-DEER brand now builds upon every day,” shares designer, Kristine Deer [above]. “I feel so grateful that the thing that made me love and respect myself, became what helped other women do the same.”  Hit any Hamptons yoga studio, or fitness class and you’ll be sure to see girls rocking the K-DEER collection. I recently sported mine to climb to the top of Mount Kuchuuma in Mexico! The best part? The eye catching patterns, strategically placed stripes, and flattering fabrics look great on all body types. KDHamptons catches up with Kristine in this NEW Fitness Diary, below:

KDHamptons: What inspired you to launch K-DEER?
Kristine Deer: Divine intervention allowed me the opportunity to follow my heart… I worked in the city for a few years after graduating Syracuse University’s fashion design program. At the peak of the recession, my previous employer was forced to close and I was out of a job. Fashion designers like myself took a hit at that time. The job market was extremely competitive and in an unexpected turn, instead of finding a new job, I found yoga. Practicing 6 days a week, I struggled to find the right clothes to fit my increasingly sweaty lifestyle; I began sampling different styles and then shared them with my yoga teachers and other students for their opinions. Positive feedback fueled me with confidence to put my design out there and I began to brand and market K-DEER.

KDHamptons: What is your mission with K-DEER?
Kristine Deer: I started K-DEER with the desire to share feelings of confidence, comfort and femininity with as many other women as possible. I sold the handmade style at my local studio and began connecting to other studios and students around the world via social media. Within my first year, I made over 800 pairs of Bum Bums by hand in my childhood bedroom, taking orders via etsy.com and sending them out through my local post office. Over the next two years, I designed and personally developed the shorts, capris and leggings. The original flat front, high waisted bottoms quickly became a hit. It was unheard of at the time to see so much print on leggings, but with carefully chosen designs on a unique high performance fabric, the K-DEER reputation was made and the brand began to get recognition for it’s uniqueness.

KDHamptons: Tell us more about your journey in yoga?
Kristine Deer: While I evolved my yoga practice and as the brand was just getting off the ground, I also became a certified Barkan Method Hot Yoga teacher. I learned so much about myself during training and as I began teaching; I saw K-DEER as an extension of me and opportunity to share my passion of yoga and fashion around the world. From hot yoga to spin, running, crossfit, surfing, paddle board and every other adventure in between, I’ve watched women of all shapes, sizes and abilities build confidence and break through self-judgements.

KDHamptons: Where do you manufacture the K-DEER collection?
Kristine Deer: We carefully manufacture our apparel in New Jersey and in the Garment Center of New York City.  Season to season, we listen to feedback, make adjustments and improve upon the details that make each style successful. We are dedicated to using high quality, American made fabric that we print locally under strict eco-friendly guidelines. My team and I are committed to reducing our footprint on the earth by keeping our process local, efficient and low in waste.
*Be sure to check out the awesome new K-DEER spring collection HERE, and follow Kristine on Instagram.