Clothes That Make Sense
Tie-coat from Sense
“I don’t consider myself a clothing designer,” says Robin Beachner, a former activewear sales rep who, with a lot of experience and gumption, launched Sense, Inc. in 2004. This winter, two pieces from the fall collection appeared on the cover of Yoga Plus magazine, and her line now sells in more than 150 retail outlets across the country. Not a bad track record for three years in business.
Beachner credits her success to a lot of hard work—and simplicity: she designs beautiful clothes for an active lifestyle in a line that works together and is made from quality fabrics. And while her apparel may embody a dance-inspired sensibility, Beachner is quick to point out that hers isn’t “yoga” wear.
Originally from Kansas City, Beachner was traveling across the country in 1991 “when I stopped in Santa Fe and stayed,” she says. In the nearly 20 years since, she’s worked in sales and marketing for numerous activewear companies, including Bloch Dancewear and Satori Sport. When she was ready to go out on her own, she enlisted the help of friend Kathy Mahone, still the company’s chief operating officer. “It was a time when people were starting to shop for yoga clothing at REI,” Beachner explains. “I could see what the market needed.”
To that end, Beachner and Mahone brainstorm each season’s color palette and silhouette, building upon a few key pieces, like the tunic pant, which has become a company staple. This spring, look for the Barcelona dress, a color-block combo of sleek slate, blue, and black, along with a host of T-shirts, skirts, and pants (all available in late January). For the fall, expect a palette of chocolate, cinnabar, and deep berry. “We keep the collection clean and simple, but you can do a lot of looks with it,” Beachner says. “The miraculous part,” adds Mahone, “is that it looks good on people of all sizes and ages.”
Beachner’s biggest concern was finding quality fabric. She swears by Modal, a natural-fiber cloth made from Austrian beechwood that doesn’t hold odors and is relatively wrinkle-free. “It’s super comfortable,” Beachner says. While the forests are sustainable, she winces at the word organic. “Most so-called organic comes from China,” she explains, and she’s not willing to take the risk. (She once tried T-shirts made from bamboo, which shrunk too much for her liking.) For each season’s line, the two work with a local pattern maker, a fabric company in Los Angeles, and a cutter near San Diego, determined to keep production within the United States. When the merchandise arrives, they coordinate with interns from the College of Santa Fe’s fashion department for the packaging and shipping.
Even though roughly 25 percent of sales are local, Sense isn’t exactly a retail outlet. Corporate headquarters, which doubles as a showroom and warehouse space, isn’t open on weekends, although the two regularly sell the work of local artists and jewelers alongside the Sense product line. “It’s not just about us,” she says, “but about supporting a community.” Info: Sense, Inc., 900 W San Mateo, #300, senseclothing.com
