Label to Watch: Split59 Activewear

Running errands in yoga pants and a sports bra is as much an L.A. rite of passage as getting your first parking ticket. And no one does fresh-off-the-elliptical fashion better than high-performance women’s wear label Splits59. “Our designs’ fabrications and silhouettes are stylish without compromising functionality,” says co-founder Jonathan Schwartz (son of Calvin Klein executive Barry Schwartz). In 2008, Schwartz launched the line in Venice with friend and former Dolce & Gabbana marketing guru Keith Peterson. As for why he opted for SoCal over NYC, Schwartz says, “It felt a bit disingenuous to be on Seventh Avenue. We wanted to be close to the culture we cater to.” For spring, the pair is focusing on geometric shapes, color blocking and ergonomic seaming. They also brought back their popular mesh inlays. “It offers transparency in strategic places,” Peterson explains. “You can wear a poppy-colored bra and show a little peek of it.” Inspired by the 2012 Summer Olympics, each piece is named after a former U.S. female competitor, so there are Flo-Jo running shorts and Serena W. embroidered tanks. “It was our way of paying homage to these incredible women,” Schwartz says.