KUALA LUMPUR, July 26 — Working out is about living healthy and feeling great about how you look. Whether you are at the start of your fitness journey or on the way to look like a Greek goddess, fitness wear plays a part in motivating you. Fit Rebel is an online shop selling fashionable fitness wear, swimwear and accessories to complement your workout routines. Started by Nadia Hasbi who is also the distributor of Brazilian beach and fitness wear label Liquido, Fit Rebel carries trendy, high quality and affordable apparel for an active lifestyle. 

Nadia was working in the corporate world for 10 years prior to starting her own business. Her former job sent her to Brazil to set up operations and during her two-year stay there, she discovered Liquido. 

Liquido’s best-selling printed leggings are so trendy that it can be worn even when you are not working out.

“In Brazil, bikinis and fitness wear is a very big industry because going to the beach is part of their lifestyle. Everyone in Brazil spends a lot of time on the beach and they want to look good. The designs I found in Brazil are never seen here in Malaysia. They are so colourful, affordable and trendy, so much so that you want to wear it even when you are not working out,” said Nadia. 

When her family and friends heard about this back in Malaysia, they encouraged her to bring Liquido to Malaysia. It was 2012 and Nadia was still based in Brazil so she worked with Zalora to bring in a few pieces. The following year, Nadia’s life took an unfortunate turn, hence she had to return to Malaysia. To cope with her personal problems, Nadia turned to exercise and she was working out practically everyday.

She started weight lifting, yoga, rock climbing, capoeira and dodgeball. Nadia’s father encouraged her to start her own company so Nadia decided to bring Liquido to Malaysia. Her father set up a Sendirian Berhad or private limited company for her but unfortunately, he passed on a few weeks later.

“This business is for me and him. It is my father’s legacy,” said Nadia. Her late father was a corporate man before but he always encouraged Nadia to explore opening up a business when the opportunity arises. In 2013, Nadia started selling Liquido in Malaysia but this year, she decided to bring in other fitness brands from the US to launch Fit Rebel.

“I wanted to bring in other cool brands that I like that I’m sure people in Malaysia will like as well,” said Nadia.

Like Liquido, the other brands are also affordable, fashionable and high quality. Glyder Apparel is a yoga inspired fitness apparel label with stylish details that are not usually seen in other mainstream fitness brands. Golden Mark Inc. is a brand of jewellery-inspired temporary gold and silver tattoos that are all the rage now. In social media and fashion websites, you can find celebrities and fitness idols sporting these gorgeous temporary tattoos. Katie Craft Shack offers colourful, comfortable headbands and hair ties to keep your hair in place while working out.

Look fabulous on the beach with Golden Mark Inc. jewellery-inspired temporary gold and silver tattoos (left). Keep your hair in place while working out with the colourful and fashionable headbands by Katie Craft Shack (right).

Deciding on a name for the company was hard, admits Nadia. It took her months before she came up with a name that could resonate with her, represent her and also other people. In college she was a business person and she has an MBA but life took a different turn from what people expected of her when she started the business. “I wouldn’t call starting a business rebellious but it was daring,” said Nadia. Fit Rebel sounded like a good name so she chose it.  

The reason why Nadia chose these brands was because she felt that the fashion was different and beautiful. Showing one of the tops from Glyder Apparel, Nadia said, “When I wear this it makes me feel like I’m ready to go for war in Sparta!” 

For Nadia, wearing stylish fitness wear makes her feel great about herself and that would make her feel more energised to work out. 

"When I wear this it makes me feel like I’m ready to go for war in Sparta!”, said Nadia Hasbi, founder of Fit Rebel (left). This Glyder Apparel tank top is comfortable, affordable and is made of high quality material (right).

The most popular items on Fit Rebel are the printed leggings from Liquido. “The designs are really unique and it matches individual tastes,” said Nadia. Because they come in limited pieces, it is very rare for you to bump into someone else who is wearing the same design. Liquido produces 20 new patterns every month in limited quantities as opposed to bigger fitness brands that mass produces a collection every three months. 

As for the Liquido bikinis, Nadia is careful to choose those that cover more. According to Nadia, the bikinis in Brazil tend to be too skimpy, hardly covering anything. It is like practically wearing a G-string. The ones she picked for Fit Rebel are chosen because they look good and are of high quality. 

She said in Brazil, it is normal for someone to spend RM800 on a bikini. Since Brazilians spend most, if not all of their time on the beach, they would invest in something that they wear on a regular basis. 

“The sports bras are also selling quite well. If you look at Glyder Apparel, they are different from other fitness brands because of their funky, edgy twist,” said Nadia. While Liquido is popular for its printed leggings, Glyder Apparel’s leggings have subtle detailed designs that makes them fashionable. 

Nadia picked these leggings from Glyder Apparel because they have detailed designs that makes it stand out from regular workout wear (left). These Glyder Apparel leggings are for people who prefer black leggings but want a little bit of design (right).

You can also buy directly from the brands themselves but the reason why Fit Rebel is a better option to shop is that Fit Rebel offers free shipping and you get your item within three days if you are in Malaysia. Also the prices are the same after conversion, so it is more cost-effective to buy these brands from Fit Rebel.

Nadia is looking to add more brands to the site. “I’m listening to my customers’ feedback as well,” she said. Fitness apparel somehow tends to come in small sizes but Nadia assures that upon request, she can bring in sizes for plus-sized customers. “Brazilian bodies run from sizes XS to XXL so if needed, you can order a larger size from Fit Rebel,” said Nadia. 

There are no plans to bring in men’s fitness wear yet because based on Nadia’s survey among her male friends, guys don’t really spend money on fitness wear. “I’m looking at which segments to cater for,” she said. 

“The brands I bring in I can wear them anytime, anywhere and I’m having fun with what I do,” said Nadia. You can expect more interesting leggings at Fit Rebel as Nadia is planning to bring in limited edition leggings with artwork designed by an artist. There are other brands coming on board, including funky yoga mat bags and specialised underwear that promises to prevent camel toe. 

Nadia is also open to have a business partner to help the business grow. “My goal is for Fit Rebel to grow 10-fold,” she said on her future plans.

Check out Fit Rebel at www.fitrebel.com