Graced by Grit
• Address: 440 S. Rampart Blvd., Las Vegas
• Phone: 702-202-0199
• Email: [email protected]
• Website: gracedbygrit.com
• Hours of operation: 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday
• In business since: 2013
Describe your business.
Graced by Grit manufactures athletic apparel. We design all of our products to empower women and keep them safe. Each of our pieces are designed with UPF 50+ sun-protective Italian fabrics. Our designs are elegant, figure slimming, functional and built for performance so women can look their best doing what they love.
Who are your customers?
Our customer is gritty. She is between 30 and 50 years old. She is educated, sophisticated and successful. She is a mother and a professional. She is an athlete; the younger version of herself and a wise, mature woman.
What is your business philosophy?
Make it happen.
What is the hardest part about doing business here?
We are in a completely new location. This phase of Tivoli Village just opened. We can’t wait for the residents of Summerlin to find their way to our store.
What obstacles has your business overcome?
When we first started, we sought funding from a group that funds startups in the sports industry. They had a pretty chauvinistic approach to the business. It was frustrating.
The biggest challenge has been moving production back to the U.S. In China, it is one-stop shopping. They make the patterns, buy the fabric and trim, sew, package the garment and ship everything to you ready to go. In the U.S., we have different vendors for each step. Managing them can be tough, but we know it is worth it.
The “athleisure” industry is booming. How much do you focus your products on function versus form?
Our products are designed to make women look and feel great, and are built for performance. All of our pieces have pockets in the front and back waistband of all leggings to accommodate a phone, credit cards and keys. Each of our pieces also comes with a discreet, high-pitched safety whistle.
Why the whistle?
Six years ago, 17-year-old Chelsea King was murdered in a brutal act of violence while on a run. Chelsea had always wanted to complete a triathlon, but her life was cut short and she was not able to fulfill that dream. A friend of the King family asked all of her friends to participate on the Tri’n for Chelsea team in Chelsea’s honor.
At one of the Tri’n for Chelsea team meetings, Kelly King, Chelsea’s mother, mentioned that if Chelsea had a phone or a whistle — something to attract attention — her death may have been prevented.
We took this into consideration while training for the triathlon and developing the first of Graced by Grit apparel, deciding to include a detachable whistle with each piece.