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Kin Founder

An interview with Kin founder; Senior Yoga Teacher Laura Pearce

Kin Yoga mat founder Laura Pearce

 


"My mission: To create the ultimate comfort Yoga mat, for the modern Yogi".

 

How did the Kin concept come about?

"There simply weren’t any Yoga mats on the market I really liked. At first my aim was simply to create a mat that whose functionality would blow all the other mats out of the water.

The final Kin concept came to me randomly one day when I forgot my Yoga mat at home and had to teach a class using my oversized cashmere scarf as a sort of Yoga ‘rug’ and had the most enjoyable child’s pose ever! That was when I realised I wanted my mat to feel great. I wanted it to mimic that delicious sensation you get with textiles like cashmere against the skin. AS WELL AS having great functionality.

My Kin mat is now my own beautiful little sanctuary of comfort and positive vibes, and it makes such a big difference to my practice!" 

What Inspires the designs?

"This was the trickiest aspect of the whole process for me - I'm not an artistic person at all, and I knew I'd have to relinquish that aspect of things... fortunately, London is full of insanely talented freelance fashion designers. Each mat was created by a different designer in the end. The brief I had in my mind was to create something fashion forward, without cliche and/or appropriated spiritual symbols.

I wanted designs that would inspire daydreams of heady tropical retreats and adventures, and those magic Savasana dreams; that special place you drift off to in Savasana when your mind is truly relaxed, and your heart is open.

What are Kin's eco credentials?

Firstly I'm so happy with the factory we use, As it's small batch production, it's easier to quality control production, and make sure all our mats are packaged perfectly, and without any plastic. It was actually insanely hard to find a factory that would use paper packaging, and I still haven't found another Yoga mat brand that doesn't use some kind of plastic packaging, but I was determined to be different; the plastic issue for me was non negotiable.
We also use 100% natural rubber as a base for all our mats, which was really important to me as it's sustainable, and doesn't cause toxins or pollution during farming; the rubber trees stay alive through the process. So many mats on the market use either TPE, or sadly PVC (one of the most damaging and toxic plastics in both production and removal, and you really can't recycle it). It really frustrates me when I see brands using PVC, just because it's cheaper, even some of the big 'fancy' athleisure brands do it and frankly it's shameful.

Why run live Kin-d events?

"I’ve always run Yoga pop-ups and stuff, but I wanted to create a more interesting series of networking events and talks with the aim of supporting and inspiring young entrepreneurs and women in business. Had I had access to more local networks, tribes and inspiration, I might have started Kin many moons ago!

Plus events can be a great way to fundraise for the charities we support - people expect that modern companies to have a strong ethical and social conscience, and I agree.”.

Anything else about Kin we should know?

“Not really, it’s a pretty simple concept; a hig performance, eco Yoga mat that feels great against the skin. Just to let you guys know, when you buy from a small creative company like Kin, you make someone (me!) feel  joyful! I love and appreciate you, my Kin customer community, so thank you.

I really hope you enjoy your Kin mat as much as I do!.

From your Kindred spirit,

Laura”

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