Paperazzi Magazine - In conversation

Up close and personal with the owner of Tuhura Athletics. Read about what plans she has for the brand!

What inspired you to start your own line? Tell us what your brands name 'Tūhura' means?

 

Tūhura means to ‘Explore’ in Māori, which is the native language of New Zealand. We named our brand Tūhura to celebrate women exploring their inner strengths for achieving the best versions of themselves. The untiring hummingbird in our logo symbolizes the diligence needed in this process of self-discovery.

 

I live in athleisure wear! Finding trendy outfits locally, while going easy on the wallet, was always a challenge for me. Tūhura was started to help bridge that gap and provide quality clothing with great designs at very affordable prices for the masses. Good looking, comfortable outfits are always a mood booster, and that motivation is something we all need before a hardcore workout. 

 

In your opinion what makes your brand different from other athletic wear brands in Pakistan?

 

Our products are all runway-inspired and since we closely monitor trend reports, our new designs hit the market as soon as something starts trending globally. We also manufacture everything ourselves in Pakistan, with a very skilled team, which gives us an edge in customizing for various styling projects. Most importantly, however, our top priority is client satisfaction and we believe that they deserve the best in customer service. We take pride in the quality of the products we sell; hence, we offer one of the most generous return policies on our products.

 

It's amazing how Tūhura produces locally. What response are you getting from your customers?

 

Customers thoroughly appreciate the fact that our products are made in Pakistan, unlike the generic Chinese products that have flooded our markets. Most customers are quite amazed that we can provide them international quality products locally. We plan on continuing to bring the best international industry practices to our country.

 

What was the greatest challenge you faced while starting this?

 

Producing the right fabric and precision in design are essential components needed for quality athletic wear. Building a team that was reliable, skillful and knew how to comply with international standards was one of the biggest challenges we faced while we were starting Tūhura. Fortunately, now we have a very strong team that seamlessly brings to fruition all our design ideas.

 

If you could make anyone wear your athletic or yoga wear who would that be?

 

Gigi Hadid! She is indisputably the queen of athleisure.

 

Are you a fitness freak? If yes, what do you prefer, hard core gymming or yoga?

 

I strongly believe that exercise and meditation need to be part of everybody’s daily routine. I incorporated Yoga into my daily routine a couple of years back, and there has been no going back since then.

 

Our readers would like to know a little about the force behind Tūhura? 

 

There are a lot of people who brought Tūhura into existence: from my parents, to my in-laws, my close friends, and our team of course. However, the greatest push comes from my husband, whose unconditional support since the conception of Tūhura has made me push forward harder every single day.

 

Are you planning on extending your athletic wear line? Or opening up a store in the near future?

 

Yes, we definitely are in the process of expanding our athletic wear line. This year alone we are bringing a passport collection to make travelling chic and comfortable. Our swimwear line will be launching very soon! As for stores, we have plans of stocking in a couple of places to help our clients try on sizes for the perfect fit; however, a brick and mortar store is not in the pipeline at this point. 

 

If you could change something about your brand what would it be?

 

We reflect back and are constantly trying to improve things about our brand. If there are any changes required, they are put into effect right away. The only thing I would modify about the brand is the timeline for when it started. It should have been available much sooner to help women feel motivated to stay fit!

 

What is your personal favourite international athletic wear brand and why?

 

Lululemon and No Ka’Oi. The former has traditional clean cuts, solid colors, and impeccable technical details, while the latter has unconventional bold designs, full of colors. Both these powerhouses inspire us to grow bigger.

 

Lastly, where do you see Tūhura in another 5 years?

 

Being sported by every lady in the country, leading the market of athleisure wear and on the runway.