CINCINNATI — A fashion designer who grew up on the west side of Cincinnati is now making a splash with her first brick and mortar store in OTR.
"It's a dream," says designer and owner of MEAS Active, Erin Roddy. "Absolutely a dream come true."
Open since the middle of April, MEAS Active offers workout and lounge attire designed by Roddy, who graduated from Oak Hills High School, then UC's DAAP program and then went to work in NYC for fashion houses.
A few years ago, she says she started designing and selling activewear on the side. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, she decided to come home to Cincinnati and start her own brand.
MEAS Active (pronounced "me") is an acronym for motivate, empower, aspire and shine.
"I want to motivate the people around me. I'm motivated by the people around me. I aspire to be so many strong and empowered women. And what I want to do is shine. You can keep shining up. You just go through the hard stuff and still come out better."
Her focus on activewear comes from the "hard stuff" Roddy went through in her own life. Living in New York, she said running pulled her through a dark period. She began running marathons and designed clothing for her active lifestyle. Now, thorugh MEAS Active, Roddy wants to give back to other women by allowing them to use her own space on the 1400 block of Vine Street as their own if need be.
"I hope female-owned businesses, if they need space to accommodate their product, or they want to host an event. they can come and utilize my space any day of the week," Roddy said. "There are women that are starting small businesses. And maybe having a space isn't, you know, it's not an opportunity for them right now. Or maybe they have to do pop ups. They can come here on a busy Saturday and share their products."
Additionally, Roddy says a portion of her profits will go to women-empowered non-profits. One that she is particularly fond of for the positive influence on young girls is "Girls on the Run".
Standing in her sleek and welcoming store, Roddy can't help smiling. She says most people think starting her line and having her first physical store in New York would be easier than in Cincinnati. But Roddy disagrees wholeheartedly.
"I've never felt stronger in my community and connected with the community before," says Roddy smiling. "I've had a lot of people ask me, 'isn't there a stronger community for businesses and growing business in New York?' And first thing I told them is 'no'. Your network. Your people, they show up for you in Cincinnati. That's what they do."
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