Step into the world of Dragonwing Girl, where confidence, style, and functionality blend seamlessly to create an extraordinary revolution in activewear for tween and teen girls. Get ready to embark on an inspiring journey as we uncover the captivating story behind this exceptional brand. Nestled in the heart of Denver, Colorado, Dragonwing Girl is now the brainchild of the dynamic duo, Allie and her husband Steve. Their unwavering commitment to empowering young girls through innovative activewear has set the stage for a transformative experience like no other. Join us in the front row as we explore the remarkable evolution of Dragonwing Girl and how it continues to shape the landscape of activewear, instilling confidence in girls everywhere. Visit Dragonwing Girl online at dragonwinggirl.com .

Photos by Sara Ford Photography

Can you tell me a bit more about yourself and how your journey led you to where you are today?

 I live in Denver, CO with my husband and business partner, Steve. I grew up in North Carolina and was a competitive swimmer my entire childhood. I also swam competitively at the University of North Carolina (“UNC”). I have also always loved fashion. After UNC, I went to Parsons School of Design in New York City for graduate school. Following graduation from Parsons, I started my career working in production and sourcing for Nike Kids – this involved getting the product from the initial design concept, over to factories for production, and then ultimately into stores! Over the past 15 years, I have touched all aspects of the children’s activewear business – and my experience led me to Dragonwing Girl!  

Can you tell us about the inspiration behind Dragonwing Girl, and how the brand has evolved since it was founded?

My husband and business partner (Steve) and I bought the brand from the original founder at the end of 2021. The original vision was to create a base layer product that was designed specifically to support growing girls’ bodies.  At that time, women’s athletic wear didn’t fit and wasn’t age appropriate. The owner wanted to get away from the “pink it and shrink it” mentality and to develop bras and undergarments specifically designed for active girls in sports. The result of her vision was a base layer company geared towards tween and teen girls that primarily played field sports.

When we acquired the brand, we knew the landscape had changed tremendously from 2013. There was still a need for products that fit girls’ bodies –  but there was still a need for activewear that is not just comfortable, but also having an element of fashion that appeals to the tween and teen market.

We are continuing the vision of designing products specifically geared towards girls’ growing bodies. We design activewear that girls can wear all day, while at the same time allowing them to feel comfortable, confident, AND fashionable.  We want to remove the tension around growing bodies, de-escalating anxiety and enabling a girl’s healthy relationship with her body. 

What sets Dragonwing Girl apart from other activewear brands in the market?

Girls don’t think of their lives as “in-between” or transitional. But so many clothing brands treat them that way. We know that real girl power comes from the superior fit of the product, not from superficial messaging over a just-ok product. That is why our activewear is high quality, provides an exceptional fit, has fashionable designs, and is always designed with the highest quality fabrics available on the market. 

Because anyone can be active – everyone should be comfortable! With Dragonwing, girls can move freely and focus on what’s in front of them instead of what they’re wearing.

Dragonwing Girl was recently featured in Denver Fashion Week.  Can you walk us through the creative process behind preparing for the fashion show?

Denver Fashion Week gives us the freedom to be creative, and try fun, new styles, and colors. You don’t always think that way when you’re planning your next collection. Plus, you never know what will resonate with a group of teen and tween girls! Last season we debuted pink and purple tie-dye crop tops and leggings – and girls went crazy for it at the show! It ended up being our top seller so far in 2023.

For the Spring show, we designed 20+ different looks of sports bras, crop tops, shorties, leggings, skirts and dance leotards. We look for inspiration across the board – fabrics, designs, and styles. We have a fabulous design team as well as long-term factory partners that handmake all of the samples in their facilities. It is very much a rush to get these designs to completion in time for the show. Everything must be perfect!

The feedback from moms and daughters at our fit sessions and show is critical in what we eventually put into production. We had a lot of GREAT feedback, and we can’t wait to get some of these styles here before the next school year starts!

Do you have any highlights from the fashion show you would like to share?

We had 25 girls walk for us who ranged from 8 to 15 years old, including 12 girls who are ambassadors for our brand!  It is so fun getting ready for the show with the girls and moms, and we love letting our girls be runway models for the day!  We also debuted our first ever skirt and our collection of dance leotards, including the “Gracie Leo.” We were also excited to partner with Pastry, the #1 dancewear sneaker company in the U.S!. Every girl wore Pastry’s Silver Glitter Pop Tart Sneakers on the runway! 

As you mentioned, the “Gracie Leo” made its debut at Denver Fashion Week.  Can you tell us a bit more about the inspiration behind the Gracie Leo and why it’s important to Dragonwing Girl?

In November 2022, the Colorado dance community lost 11-year old Grace Baca (“Gracie” to her friends and family) to a traumatic brain injury sustained in an automobile accident.  Since the winter, we have been collaborating with her mom, Megan, on how we could help the Baca family and the Colorado dance community that was still reeling from such a horrific event.  

We worked with Megan to design the Gracie Leo, in honor of Gracie. The Gracie Leo was worn by Hadley, one of Gracie’s best friends and fellow dancers at Artistic Fusion Dance Academy in Westminster, CO. We worked tirelessly over the past few months with Megan to design something that Gracie would absolutely LOVE – and of course it included her favorite color – pink!  In the Fall of 2023, we will begin offering the Gracie Leo on our online store. All profits from the sale of the Gracie Leo will be donated to the Grace Baca Foundation. The foundation will award scholarships to dancers and will work with organizations to assist individuals with traumatic brain injuries. We are so grateful that we will be able to support our Colorado community with this initiative! 

We couldn’t have been more thrilled with all of the overwhelming support for Gracie at Denver Fashion Week. All of our models wore pink chain bracelets to honor Gracie as they walked the runway. Megan attended the event with a tribe of dance moms and close friends. Gracie’s dance teacher Jen, from Artistic Fusion, also attended! Hadley walked down the runway as the finale to our show accompanied by “Rain on Me” by Lady Gaga. This song was extra special as it was the song played during Gracie’s last solo dance performance. Gracie’s headshot appeared on the LED screen on the Denver Fashion Week stage so we could further honor her. It was an incredibly emotional day for Gracie’s friends and family, and it showed how much she is loved and missed in the dance community.

What’s next for Dragonwing Girl?

Oh, all the THINGS! We are so excited to bring new product drops to our customers monthly (including the new categories we debuted at Denver Fashion Week).  Our new product has really resonated with dancers this year, and we are looking forward to getting our leotards to market this fall. We also are looking forward to getting Dragonwing into dance studios, specialty boutiques, and larger retailers!

Reflecting on your journey with Dragonwing Girl, what are you most proud of, and what are your aspirations for the brand moving forward?

Not only building a brand (that we are SO proud to represent!), but also creating a greater community of girls that support each other and become lasting friends. We have over 200 ambassadors representing the brand through our “A+ Ambassador Program.” 

We love getting messages from girls and moms who meet for the first time at dance competitions and gymnastics meets who were previously connected through A+! We also love teaming up with photographers across the country to bring girls together for Dragonwing photoshoots! We love getting our girls to be the face of the brand! Over the next few weeks, we have a few new fun things planned! We are going to have a Zoom meet-up with our top ambassadors to discuss all the prototypes from Denver Fashion Week and help us plan what items will go into production and what kind of suggestions they have! We are also excited to launch a mentorship program (Big Sis/Lil Sis) exclusively for ambassadors. 

How can our readers get involved and stay up to date on all things Dragonwing Girl?

Follow us on social media @dragonwinggirl and sign-up for our email list on our online store at www.dragonwinggirl.com! We have a big following on Instagram. Every day we will share girls posting photos and videos in their Dragonwing outfits! 

We also want to support Colorado girls as much as we can! Feel free to message us and let us know if we can help! We love to support dance teams, soccer teams, gymnastics teams – anything active, you name it!

Thank you for all of your love and support. We love our Scout Guide Community!

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