How Angelica Jenett Designed Brooks’ New Sports Bras

Angelica Jenett’s interest in fashion design started early: she grew up running around her family’s garment factory in Lima, Peru. “We did knit T-shirts and screen printing—fun stuff,” she says. “I always had an eye toward that.” The decision to go to art school and become a clothing designer was easy. Her first job was at Old Navy. After several years and a stint at business school, she found her way to the outdoor world. “There’s just so much more empathy in the activewear industry,” she says. “When we talk about the product, it’s not as much about what someone thinks is cool or what’s trending. It’s more about how we serve the actual needs of the customer.”

Put Yourself Out There

“I didn’t know I wanted to be a runner until I was 20 years old. Because I’m Latina, I didn’t see myself in a lot of spaces. I didn’t want to do yoga or run because I never saw people like me doing it. But once I finally did those activities, I was like, Why isn’t everyone doing this? For me, working in activewear is about discovering this for myself and wanting to share that feeling with a bigger audience.”

Find Inspiration

“The Drive 3-Pocket Bra was born out of the need to keep your phone on you while running, but the design was inspired by yoga, because there are some moves where you put your hands behind your back. Those moves helped me think, OK, I can actually reach a pocket in this or that spot.”

Appreciate the Effort

“I’ve done apparel day in, day out for my whole career. But bras are a whole new world for me. I’m so happy that there are people who dedicate their lives to study- ing the movement of breasts as you’re run- ning, because it just makes the product so much better.”

Get Personal

“I’ve actually been a model in some of the bra fittings. It’s very interesting to join a meeting and have someone say, OK, it’s bra-fit time. Let’s take your top off.”