Rebecca Ardekani didn’t initially plan on launching her own business. With a degree in tourism and hospitality from Temple University, her plans changed rapidly when the Covid-19 pandemic struck in 2020.
Set to graduate that spring with a degree for an industry that was particularly hard hit, Ardekani, now 24, began to reimagine her post-graduate plans after Temple's campus shut down and she returned home to Chester Springs for the remainder of the semester. Ardekani found herself retreating outdoors for the sake of her mental wellbeing. On walks with her father – who runs the family business Azer Scientific, a Morgantown-based laboratory product manufacturer – they began discussing what she might pursue while the hospitality sector recovered.
Movement and its connection to overall wellbeing had long been something Ardekani’s parents had instilled in her. A former swimmer, that rang truer during the early days of lockdowns.
“During that time, I was really working on myself, kind of getting back into nutrition and health and wellness and trying to work on my mental health,” she recalled. “Any type of movement really helped.”
Paired with her own frustrations with women’s activewear on the market, she began to consider launching her own brand. “I loved activewear and the one thing that I felt was missing from the athleisure industry was affordable, but high-quality athleticwear,” she said.
She decided to change that by creating her own brand. The result is Philadelphia-based Merak Activewear, which she launched spring of 2020. Over that summer, Ardekani worked with manufacturers and was able to enter the market by the end of September. Her first collection included a selection of leggings, sports bras, and tops.
The line has since expanded to include different styles of leggings, a jacket, shorts, various tops, and accessories. Sports bras start at $32, with leggings starting at $42.
While most of the apparel is made overseas, Ardekani is working with local artisans, especially for accessories. That included a beanie created by a Pottstown maker and a tote bag from a Philadelphia designer. She hopes as she grows the business to work with local artisans more.
Merak releases new lines of clothing every five or so months, often with a change in seasons. The business has been self-funded so far. It is not yet Ardekani’s full-time job – she is also a teacher for elementary-aged students.
Merak is exclusively available online and the vast majority of sales, 70%, are direct to consumer. About six months after launching Merak, Ardekani expanded into wholesale, which accounts for the remaining 30% of business.
The most popular styles in the line are the seamless pieces, which are more akin to compression garments. “Seamless is definitely snugger, it's that tighter fit,” Ardekani said. “If you're a runner, or you're doing high impact, that's a really nice material because it's going to stay up – it's not going to slide.”
While the brand is focused on athleticwear, Ardekani’s message is about overall wellbeing and seeks customers beyond just athletes. “For me, I created the company not only for affordable athleisure, but to promote what [benefits] movement and wellness have on not only the body, but the mind,” she said, noting that includes dancing, theater or even those who prefer casual walks.
That concept plays into the very name of the company, which borrows from the Serbian word “merak,” meaning “a feeling of bliss or the sense of oneness from the simple pleasures in life,” as Ardekani explained it.
Though likely years off, as business continues to grow, Ardekani imagines a flagship store sometime down the road. Staying true to her brand’s roots, it would be more than a place to shop. “Some type of wellness center or studio would be my end goal,” she said.
What’s Merak’s design inspiration?
A lot of neutrals. I try to stick to our basics. A lot of black and white and brown. But I also throw in those fun patterns there too. … I would say it's definitely catering to different styles and what people are comfortable wearing.
Do you foresee expanding into men’s or children’s wear?
Not now. I just kind of want to get my bearings on the women's [line] and really expand that before I jump into a men's or a toddler's. I would hope that one day I would be able to do that.
What about other types of athletic garments?
I always thought about swimwear, but it's definitely not going to be this year. I think about swimwear and more full coverage swimwear.
What types of stores are you working with on wholesale?
Definitely a lot of wellness boutiques. One of the most fascinating ones that we worked with was out of Columbia, South Carolina. I've also worked with the CycleBar, which is a boutique cycle bar.
