Emily Vitale | Prism Sport

SWEAT journal Prismsport_091317_3755-copy-2 Emily Vitale | Prism Sport

It might be her way of positive outlook, work ethic, or the fortune of the moment, but a taste for sports fashion has enabled Emily Vitale to establish a name in the burgeoning athleisure industry.

 
After her early career in sports and fashion marketing, Emily Vitale decided to quit that work and start raising her children. That was the starting point of another way of life. Emily soon started constructing tennis clothes and accessories that showed her love of print, color, and texture. And after realizing that the market only so many monochromatic fitness clothes, Emily worked with Lori Forio to co-found the PRISMSPORT.  The venture has enabled her to share her vision that performance fitness clothing should be fashionable (and fun) too.  The success of the concept has been exhilarating.

Today, people are allowed to dress casually in their workplaces. More people are including workouts in their daily routine and yoga is in the booming stage and driving the category too.

SWEAT journal Prismsport_091317_2681-copy Emily Vitale | Prism Sport

How her career life evolved 

Emily Vitale’s earlier work experience stemmed from the need to support her several hobbies and vices. “I taught skiing to raise the money I needed to pay for season’s pass.” “I also sold my sewing projects to support my longtime habit of purchasing beautiful fabric.” After her college years, she engaged in retail business mainly because she loved fashion. “The retail business gave me a great start and helped me understand how the fashion industry works.” 

Luckily, she landed at Ellesse, which was a small startup company in NY, in the Department of Advertising and PR.  She had also known Ellesse in her days of skiing and it had been her dream company. In the company, she gained insight on various fundamental operations like running the fashion brand, which she carried to her PRISMSPORT businesses. “Today I am capable of dealing with retailers of any size, manufacturing, and marketing,” she says. She stopped working to raise her girls but continued sewing and selling wares to family and close friends. After her girls got old, she started organizing her hobbies into a real business with Lori Florio, a close friend, and PRISMSPORT co-founder. 

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The PRISMSPORT Brand 

PRISMSPORT is a brainchild of Emily Vitale and Lori Florio, two ladies of marketing and publishing respectively, who developed Prism Sport as athletic wear embracing passion, vibrancy, and one that takes you from the gym to any other place during the day. “We developed PRISMSPORT for women on tight schedules but wanting to remain fit.” The fitness wear boasts unique prints that will empower you during your workouts and after the workout time ends. 

Emily Vitale’s highlights of the startup venture so far include seeing the creation of the first products, packaging those first products in bags featuring the PRISMSPORT logo. 

Today, PRISMSPORT is among the few activewear companies making fashionable products that are truly all-sport performance products. “Most other brands claim that they are studio-to-street, but they mostly step very far from the line.” Emily believes that others offer many fashionable products but of sub-par quality and high-performing fabrics without style sense. “With PRISMSPORT, women are able to live within the brand and enjoy it when not working out in the gym.” 

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Emily’s advice to women in business 

Emily Vitale encourages women who are working to establish their businesses to consult anyone they find related to their industry of choice. “Ask numerous questions, and remember to carefully listen to the answers.” “That is important if you want your business to flourish, and to learn more about the industry of choice, including when you are not involved directly in every aspect of your business. By learning, you will get a clear roadmap and picture of where you are planning to go.” 

 

What made the business flourish? 

Because most people are living casual lives, and they are becoming more health conscious than they have been, Emily Vitale believes that they are enjoying the associated benefits. “Today, people are allowed to dress casually in their workplaces. More people are including workouts in their daily routine and yoga is in the booming stage and driving the category too. The fitness fashion is appealing to people of all habits and ages and complements anything that you are likely to do.” 

Emily says that the innovation in fabric has allowed sporting clothes producers to make better designs and performance benefits that people did not enjoy several years ago. “People used to exercise in cotton and to drip. To print a garment, they required higher minimum quantities – the technology has significantly changed all that.” 

“Several things make the PRISMSPORT pieces versatile. The first factor is the fabric, which is a dense weave and provides slight compression and is not thick or heavy. The fabric also offers a comfortable silky feel and you can wear it throughout the day.” 

The styling is different from the others. “The capris and the leggings feature discreet seamless front, which does not bond at the crotch – due to the inside stitching and the design. The pants have seams on their side, which provide the capris and leggings a trouser feel making them stylish and easier to transition from the gym outfit to enjoy some coffee and snacks with friends. The PRISMSPORT prints are trending.” She also believes that they are more appropriate for street wear. 

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Living in Prism: What does it mean?

Emily Vitale says that “Living in Prism” means several things. It might refer to living in energy and color, standing out, being present, feeling empowered, being exuberant, being comfortable when noticed and avoiding being a black wallflower. It is more like having a loud voice in print. In fact, “Living in Prism” takes women from the gym to other places. It allows them to be comfortable in their skin and express their creativity and individuality. 


The founder of PRISMSPORT admires women who attempt to integrate family and work. In her career life, she has realized how difficult that can be and she has learned by absorbing and observing the creative and different ways women accomplish their goals in their day-to-day lives.

“Living in Prism” means several things. It might refer to living in energy and color, standing out, being present, feeling empowered, being exuberant, being comfortable when noticed and avoiding being a black wallflower.

Emily Vitale