After a career in the fitness industry, Marianna Tetyevsky gave her professional life a new twist. Instead of teaching fitness, the former personal trainer, fitness model, and pilates and kickboxing instructor decided to encourage personal fitness from a retail perspective. “When I taught fitness classes, I was always asked where I got my outfits. I realized that a lot of the brands I was wearing were only available to fitness professionals or were things I had picked up while traveling,” says Tetyevsky, whose Millburn activewear shop, Bliss Activewear, opened last September.
“Fitness is about how you look and how you feel,” she says. Tetyevsky had never worked in retail, but was determined to fill what she saw as a gap in the activewear market. “So many moms spend their days in workout clothes. They go from the gym to pick up their kids, and from one appointment to another,” says the Russian-born mother of four, whose children range in age from 5 to 20 years old. “I wanted to offer clothing they could work out in, and look good and feel good wearing all day.”
Quality and style are the hallmarks of Tetyevsky’s inventory. Her lines feature clothing made of body-hugging and fast-drying fabrics. All the looks support her mantra that activewear should be “workout to walk out.” For the hybrid clothing, Tetyevsky sought designer brands with couture-like details, such as leggings with pockets for a more pants-like look, and wraparound tops to wear over leggings for a quick-change option after a workout.
Many of Bliss’s labels are West Coast brands—hard to find in the East—and designs from Italy, Brazil, Israel and Colombia. “It’s not the stuff you find in the mall,” says Tetyevsky. Labels include a feminine line called Karma; Anatomie, a collection with simple, European-style looks; and Protokolo, a fun brand that offers plenty of prints and flower patterns. The shop also has high-end footwear by Elie Tahari and Ahnu. There are dance gear and yoga accessories like blocks, mats and bags.
“Fitness is a longtime commitment,” Tetyevsky says. “Clothing that makes you feel good helps you stay active and continue to take care of yourself.”