It was during her weight training sessions that Samantha Zucco, 23, saw the possibility of starting a business. A law student, she has always been passionate about sports, but she struggled with workout clothes that were often uncomfortable or did not flatter the figure satisfactorily.
That’s when Athinama came about. Despite being a newcomer to entrepreneurship and the fashion market, Zucco decided to research the fitness industry and launch a high-performance sportswear brand that offered greater comfort, performance, and body enhancement without transparency issues.
Athinama is set to be launched in the market in the first week of December, initially targeting the female audience, with an average price of R$191.00 and an initial investment of R$200,000. The collection includes jackets, pants, tops, and shorts, with a focus on seamless pieces, a technology that allows for seamless production. All pieces are manufactured in Brazil using imported machinery, incorporating LYCRA® fibers in the fabrics for softness, quick drying, and the feeling of a “second skin” without compromising comfort or mobility.
About to graduate in law at Mackenzie Presbyterian University, the young entrepreneur highlights that the biggest challenge of the first business is investing in an area parallel to her career. “The fashion part itself, creating the products, has been the most challenging. My style is basic, low profile. I wanted to create a style that values a woman’s body during the workout without losing mobility,” she defines. Samantha also explains the origin of the brand’s name: “Athinama came from the combination of my name with the term in English, ‘athletic’. I wanted a personality and a proper name for my brand that made sense in the fitness world.”
In light of the behavior and consumption pattern in Generation Z, Samantha decided to venture through e-commerce and engage directly with her target audience using Instagram and TikTok. A study released in October by Big Data Corp, on the profile of E-commerce in Brazil, corroborates with the strategy. The research reveals that the marketing model has been the most common among Generation Z and that 75% of online stores also stand out on social media in communicating with the consumer audience born in the 2000s.
