It was a cold ass January in 2019 (by Miami standards).
Hayden and I were young, ambitious, and working our asses off.
HYBRID had been in business for two years, and we were putting all of our time, energy and resources into building a reputable SAAS (software as a service) business.
We split our time between writing programs & ensuring our members had the educational content we promised to deliver and long meetings with software engineers & our marketing team.
Essentially, we were balancing working ON our business with working IN our business as best we could.
It was fun, challenging and full on. It was our dream, and we couldn’t believe we were living it.
One thing we always spoke about was improving the experience of our members.
The main focus was on their programming, education, and results.
But we also wanted to do other things for them to give them that little bit extra.
I’ve always had a passion for fashion and style so I thought we could make some apparel for our members.
So we started making a few t-shirts and vests for our members, and used them as another avenue of marketing. We gave them to members to wear in and out of the gym and represent HYBRID and it was pretty awesome to see our members wearing our company logo with pride.
It was definitely one of many ‘pinch me’ moments Hayden and I have had on this journey.
However, this was small fry compared to creating a full apparel branch of the HYBRID brand.
We were already stretching ourselves and our team, but every time I thought about the places we could take this and the things we could achieve, I got more pumped up about it.
I knew it would be the right move for us, we just had to take a leap.
Before we started designing, Hayden and I talked about our non-negotiables.
We knew we wanted to create unique but wearable pieces.
We knew we wanted to charge a fair price.
And we knew we wanted to do some awesome collabs.
We thought long and hard about the intricate details of running and producing apparel, then thought ‘fuck it’ let’s just do this.
And HYBRID Legacy was born.
Our first collection dropped in 2019, and it went OFF. This sweatshirt flew off the rails, and we were very humbled by the reaction we got.
I think what you wear says something about who you are. It’s not your whole truth, but a reflection on how you see yourself. So, to have hundreds of people wearing HYBRID Legacy clearly shows they see themselves as badass AF, right?
From here, HYBRID Legacy flourished.
Every drop is completely different, inspired by everything from Mortal Kombat and St Patrick’s Day to Miami Vice and Bruce Lee.
We stripped back to basics to create the sickest hoodie that flew off the virtual shelves. And, collaborated with the awesome (and annoyingly cool) Cory Snyder.
When I look back at all the designs we’ve created, it’s hard to believe we were apprehensive about taking apparel to the next level with HYBRID Legacy. It’s true what they say, what doesn’t challenge you won’t change you.
It’s definitely been challenging, but we have leveled up in ways I could never have imagined and I’m proud to lead the most amazing team to new heights.
HYBRID Legacy wasn’t a side project or a “let’s see what happens” kinda deal.
It was a calling.
Our calling.
And we are so grateful for the response it’s received from our thousands of happy customers all over the world.
HYBRID Legacy promises to deliver original, interesting and sick designs. You gotta promise yourself to have the confidence (and the fast fingers) to get your hands on them.
Strength In Style,
Stefi Cohen