Libby Perry On Making Activewear More Sustainable and Body-Inclusive
Good days for the planet, good days for you.
Libby Perry, founder of Good Days (Photo: Courtesy of @camikandila_)
When it comes to shopping for activewear, options can go from questionably cheap to outrageously overpriced. The good news is, brands that are committed to sustainable, ethical practices are on the rise, providing reasonably priced options that don’t cost the earth.
One such brand is Good Days, a Hong Kong-based sustainable activewear brand founded by Libby Perry. Good Days has built an entire ethos around well-being, with a focus on helping women feeling good in their own skin while moving at their own pace.
Sustainability is not just a trendy word that Good Day tosses around, but rather an approach and commitment that the brand embodies, from fabrics, manufacturing, to packaging. Ethically made by local women in Bali, who receive twice the amount of minimum wage, double wage, and 25 days of paid leave, Good Days products are also made from organic cotton, recycled polyester and nylon that comes from post-consumer plastic waste.
An eco-warrior in her own right, Perry shares her thoughts on starting a business, keeping a healthy lifestyle, and everything in between.
What were you doing before Good Days?
I moved to Hong Kong in Jan 2019 from London, where I had been in buying and marketing at Amazon. When I came to Hong Kong I worked at Lane Crawford for just under a year as a Brand Manager. It was great to combine the e-commerce experience at Amazon, with the luxury bricks and mortar retail of Lane Crawford, to gain an overall picture of omni-channel retail and brand building.
Have you always wanted to be an entrepreneur?
Since graduating from university in the UK in 2012, I had always had it in my mind that I would eventually like to do my own thing. Whilst I really value the time I spent working for other businesses and everything I learnt, I love the autonomy of entrepreneurship, and the flexibility to take my business in the direction that I am most passionate about.
What defines a modern woman in 2021 to you?
A modern woman in 2021 should feel that they have choice and flexibility to define what their careers look like, and how it fits holistically in their lives. I think the rigid, micro-managed 9-5 Monday to Friday office job doesn't enable a woman to necessarily flourish in the best way, if there is no flexibility to enable them to also do the things which will grow as a person, both in their personal and professional lives.
What’s one accessory every woman must have?
Belief in themselves and what they can achieve!
What does your self-care routine look like?
Taking time to do the things that re-charge me, whether that's a yoga class, a hike, time with friends or just a quiet afternoon to myself. It's that age old saying that you need to fill your own cup, before you'll really be able to help others to fill theirs.
What’s your favourite female-owned brand(s) at the moment?
There are a couple of great swimwear brands for women from the UK that I have followed for a while and love what they are doing: Stay Wild Swim and You Swim. Stay Wild are focused on sustainability, using recycled fabrics from ocean waste, whilst You Swim have an amazing 'one-size' product which champions size inclusivity and acknowledges that our bodies are not always consistently one size and shape.
What advice would you give to anyone who’s looking to start their own business?
Firstly make sure you are really excited by your own idea, the passion will then come through and it make the whole process come together with so much more ease! And don't keep putting it off—if you have an idea but you're not quite ready to commit to it 100%, start things off as a side project, and see where things go. Don't feel that everything has to be perfect in order to start—just be ready to learn and iterate quickly as you go.
Tell us about your proudest moments as an entrepreneur?
Hearing directly from customers who say they love the product. It's nice to get recognition from media and other business owners, but really it's hearing that the end customer is behind what you are doing and appreciates the product that really makes it all worth it.
Who’s your Chika?
I take inspiration from so many women in my life, my peers, my mum, my sister—each has different experiences and different perspectives, and it's the combination that brings me so much inspiration!
