As a runner, Milwaukee entrepreneur Amy Fallucca noticed a problem that's relatable to many women: athletic tank tops and sports bras with removal bra cups are annoying. The cups fall out in the wash or get crumpled and dented, and reinserting them is cumbersome. These types of frustrations became an ongoing joke among Fallucca and her friends.
"We would just ... joke about it like, 'Why are these even removable?'" said Fallucca, a former Business Journal 40 Under 40 winner and the founder and CEO of human resources consulting firm Bravent LLC. "There's probably some man sitting in some large company going, 'Well, just in case women want their nipples to be out there, let's make them removable.'"
After extensive online searching for a solution and turning up empty, Fallucca decided to launch Comfyist, a brand that's making tank tops and other apparel with integrated bra cups. She's working with Minnesota-based Clothier Design Source to design and produce the products.
The first Comfyist product, a camisole, is available for pre-order for $99. Fallucca expects it will ship by December.
Fallucca believes there's a market for luxury basic apparel items for women, she said.
"I really believe that it could be the next Spanx sort of brand that just takes off and becomes kind of a household name," Fallucca said.
Athleisure wear — athletic clothing that's flattering enough to wear in other settings — has grown in popularity in recent years. The athleisure market was valued at $155.2 billion in 2018 and is expected to reach $257.1 billion by 2026, according to Allied Market Research.
With no prior experience in the clothing industry, Fallucca, 35, sought guidance from other local apparel entrepreneurs — including Scale Up Milwaukee executive director Elmer Moore Jr., who started Milwaukee Denim Co., and Melissa Thornton Kuykendall, founder of the popular local apparel brand MilwaukeeHome, which is now owned by HH Clothing Co., the parent company of men’s clothing retailer Harleys.
Fallucca, who's involved with local organizations including the local chapter of Girls on the Run and the Rotary Club of Milwaukee, envisions Comfyist as a company that's engaged in the Milwaukee community. She's looking into making it a B Corporation, a business structure that verifies a company's social and environmental performance.
"I think money is great, having a successful business is great," Fallucca said. "But at the end of the day, what do you do with that?"
