Words by Michellee Nelson~
If the design aesthetics of MichiNY look at familiar to you, that may be because we first featured designer Michelle Watson back in 2011. Since then, MichiNY has taken off, with the line’s workout gear appearing everywhere from Urban Outfitters’ style blog and Cosmo to the pages of Harper’s Bazaar.
A native of Canada whose mother is Chinese-Jamaican, Watson prides herself on the functionality and breathability of her workout gear, and we couldn’t help but pick up on a subtle dancehall queen vibe within some of her pieces. From the strategically placed mesh and sheer cutouts, to some of the more vibrant colors in her earlier designs, there’s definitely a little bit of Jamaica in her style choices.
MichiNY might be one of the more popular womenswear workout lines out right now, but Michelle Watson didn’t always know she wanted to work in fashion. “I was going to be a plastic surgeon,” she told us in 2011. “I did the MCAT and everything … then I switched into business and have that degree. And then later I did my fashion degree. I have three degrees.”
Watson’s non-traditional background also speaks to the type of customer MichiNY might attract . As she told us back in 2011, “I’m designing for somebody that likes to be different. They are very fashion-forward. They pick out pieces that they like based on design and put their own outfits together. They don’t need to look around and see what everyone else is wearing. They’re multi-faceted people.”
Check out more recent designs from MichiNY, shop for some of the workout gear here, and read the rest of our interview with Michelle here. Ladies, would you rock MichiNY for your next gym outing?
