{"id":6490,"date":"2021-03-22T08:00:59","date_gmt":"2021-03-22T00:00:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dollarsandsense.sg\/business\/?p=6490"},"modified":"2021-03-21T18:23:12","modified_gmt":"2021-03-21T10:23:12","slug":"kydra-two-gym-buddies-created-own-line-functional-activewear-in-singapore","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dollarsandsense.sg\/business\/kydra-two-gym-buddies-created-own-line-functional-activewear-in-singapore\/","title":{"rendered":"Kydra: How Two Gym Buddies Created Their Own Line After Failing to Find Functional Activewear in Singapore"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Despite their initial lack of expertise, Jimmy Poh and Wong Dingyao have transformed the activewear scape in Singapore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It all started from gym shorts with shallow pockets. As university mates and gym enthusiasts, Jimmy Poh and Wong Dingyao would often work out together. After a cracked phone and misplaced credit cards, the two friends embarked on a search for functional activewear and to their surprise, found none.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe realised the market lacked purposeful activewear such as shorts with deep pockets or inner tights &#8211; so we decided to make our own,\u201d Jimmy smiles. \u201cAnd this was how&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.kydra.co\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">Kydra<\/a>&nbsp;was born in 2017.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"324\" height=\"382\" src=\"https:\/\/dollarsandsense.sg\/business\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Kydra-founders-Dingyao-left-and-Jimmy-right-at-the-SOE-NEO-Start-Up-Awards-2019-.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6491\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dollarsandsense.sg\/business\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Kydra-founders-Dingyao-left-and-Jimmy-right-at-the-SOE-NEO-Start-Up-Awards-2019-.jpg 324w, https:\/\/dollarsandsense.sg\/business\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Kydra-founders-Dingyao-left-and-Jimmy-right-at-the-SOE-NEO-Start-Up-Awards-2019--254x300.jpg 254w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 324px) 100vw, 324px\" \/><figcaption><em>Kydra founders Dingyao (left) and Jimmy (right) at the&nbsp;SOE NEO Start Up Awards 2019&nbsp;<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"starting-from-ground-zero\"><strong>Starting from Ground Zero<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Despite the lack of design background and familiarity with the industry, the two friends took a deep dive and created their first pair of shorts for men. \u201cThe process was a long one,\u201d shares Dingyao, designer and co-founder at Kydra. \u201cWe combed many textile fairs for the perfect material before starting on a prototype. Each prototype took about 3 months to complete, and it was only after 8 months that we achieve the final product.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"530\" height=\"354\" src=\"https:\/\/dollarsandsense.sg\/business\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Men\u2019s-shorts-Kydra\u2019s-first-product-launch.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6492\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dollarsandsense.sg\/business\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Men\u2019s-shorts-Kydra\u2019s-first-product-launch.jpg 530w, https:\/\/dollarsandsense.sg\/business\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Men\u2019s-shorts-Kydra\u2019s-first-product-launch-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/dollarsandsense.sg\/business\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Men\u2019s-shorts-Kydra\u2019s-first-product-launch-380x254.jpg 380w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 530px) 100vw, 530px\" \/><figcaption><em>Men\u2019s shorts &#8211; Kydra\u2019s first product launch<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>In 2015, the pair of shorts was launched on Indiegogo. While reception was lukewarm at first, the shorts eventually sold out, prompting the official founding of Kydra. \u201cFunctionality is Kydra\u2019s key unique selling point. Not only do the shorts come with deep pockets with zippers, it also has inner tights to provide maximum comfort. The shorts are also anti-slip, so our customers don\u2019t have to worry about their shorts slipping during workout sessions.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"374\" height=\"504\" src=\"https:\/\/dollarsandsense.sg\/business\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Kydra-Nitro-Tee-The-successful-launch-of-its-shorts-was-followed-by-its-T-shirt-collection.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6493\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dollarsandsense.sg\/business\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Kydra-Nitro-Tee-The-successful-launch-of-its-shorts-was-followed-by-its-T-shirt-collection.jpg 374w, https:\/\/dollarsandsense.sg\/business\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Kydra-Nitro-Tee-The-successful-launch-of-its-shorts-was-followed-by-its-T-shirt-collection-223x300.jpg 223w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 374px) 100vw, 374px\" \/><figcaption><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kydra.co\/collections\/mens-tops\/products\/nitro-tee?variant=38022021808319\"><em>Kydra Nitro Tee<\/em><\/a><em>: The successful launch of its shorts was followed by its T-shirt collection<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"for-women-by-men\"><strong>For Women, By Men<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>After the positive response, Kydra began expanding its line. In 2017, Kydra kicked off its women\u2019s line with a sports bra collection. While designing apparel for women does present its challenges, Dingyao is thankful for the feedback from customers, family and friends.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"352\" height=\"434\" src=\"https:\/\/dollarsandsense.sg\/business\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/The-Kyro-Pocket-Leggings-feature-quick-cool-technology-as-well-as-pockets-for-essentials..jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6494\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dollarsandsense.sg\/business\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/The-Kyro-Pocket-Leggings-feature-quick-cool-technology-as-well-as-pockets-for-essentials..jpg 352w, https:\/\/dollarsandsense.sg\/business\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/The-Kyro-Pocket-Leggings-feature-quick-cool-technology-as-well-as-pockets-for-essentials.-243x300.jpg 243w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 352px) 100vw, 352px\" \/><figcaption><em>The<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kydra.co\/collections\/women\/products\/kyro-pocket-leggings\"><em>&nbsp;Kyro Pocket Leggings<\/em><\/a><em>&nbsp;feature quick-cool technology as well as pockets for essentials.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re constantly asking how we can improve on activewear. Our approach has also been about functionality, so we work on the nitty gritties that are important but unnoticeable. For instance, our sports bras are designed with sewn-in paddings that remain in place, even after they\u2019re machine-washed. Similar to the men\u2019s shorts, women\u2019s leggings are anti-slip&nbsp;<em>and<\/em>&nbsp;they come with pockets!\u201d Dingyao grins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>Read Also:&nbsp;<\/em><\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/dollarsandsense.sg\/business\/founder-papercranes-design-aerilynn-tan-challenges-of-solopreneur\/\"><strong><em>Putting Passion On Paper: Founder of Papercranes Design, Aerilynn Tan, On the Challenges of Being a Solopreneur<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"a-steep-learning-curve-from-day-1\"><strong>A Steep Learning Curve From Day 1<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>While the athleisure trend has become increasingly popular, Dingyao explains how it wasn\u2019t always the case. \u201cBack then, activewear wasn\u2019t as widely accepted. For instance, the concept of heading out in gym shorts or leggings was new. Despite their added value, people also didn\u2019t see the need to invest in quality activewear.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cBut that\u2019s exactly what Kydra is about &#8211; we design functional and versatile pieces that transition seamlessly between the gym and beyond. This way, our customers never have to choose between comfort, performance and style,\u201d Jimmy adds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"145\" height=\"208\" src=\"https:\/\/dollarsandsense.sg\/business\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/A-pair-of-comfortable-water-repellent-kicks-suitable-for-gym-and-everyday-wear-The-Kydra-Shoe-is-the-brand\u2019s-top-selling-product-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6496\"\/><figcaption><em>A pair of comfortable water-repellent kicks suitable for gym and everyday wear,&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kydra.co\/products\/kydra-shoe\"><em>The Kydra Shoe&nbsp;<\/em><\/a><em>is the brand\u2019s top-selling product<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Elaborating on the challenges of being first-time entrepreneurs, Jimmy continues \u201cEverything was new &#8211; the e-commerce landscape, the rising athleisure trend. We were operating on a two-man team with little to no guidance. We had given ourselves 2 years to build Kydra &#8211; it was filled with ups and downs, but I\u2019m glad we didn\u2019t throw in the towel.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Read Also:&nbsp;<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/dollarsandsense.sg\/business\/clubhouse-hottest-social-media-app-for-business-owners\/\"><em>Clubhouse: The Hottest Social Media App for Business Owners and Why You Give It a Shot<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"empowering-an-active-community\"><strong>Empowering An Active Community<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>More than just an online retail store for functional activewear, Kydra is also moving to empower and build an active community. This is achieved through product and content collaborations &#8211; starting with features published on&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.kydra.co\/blogs\/international-womens-day-2021\">International Women\u2019s Day<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"334\" height=\"414\" src=\"https:\/\/dollarsandsense.sg\/business\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/In-collaboration-with-Aware-Singapore-Kydra-recently-published-an-inspirational-read-that-documents-the-fitness-journey-of-58-year-old-Agnes-Liew-founder-of-Oompf.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6497\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dollarsandsense.sg\/business\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/In-collaboration-with-Aware-Singapore-Kydra-recently-published-an-inspirational-read-that-documents-the-fitness-journey-of-58-year-old-Agnes-Liew-founder-of-Oompf.jpg 334w, https:\/\/dollarsandsense.sg\/business\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/In-collaboration-with-Aware-Singapore-Kydra-recently-published-an-inspirational-read-that-documents-the-fitness-journey-of-58-year-old-Agnes-Liew-founder-of-Oompf-242x300.jpg 242w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 334px) 100vw, 334px\" \/><figcaption><em>In collaboration with Aware Singapore, Kydra recently published an&nbsp;<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kydra.co\/blogs\/international-womens-day-2021\/agnes-liew\"><em>inspirational read<\/em><\/a><em>&nbsp;that documents the fitness journey of 58-year-old Agnes Liew, founder of Oompf!<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Content collaborations also include working with fitness professionals within the community, to provide training tips and workout guides.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re looking to build a community that focuses on healthy living,\u201d Jimmy says. \u201cIn addition to providing accessibility to functional activewear, we are working with partners in the industry, to ease more individuals into adopting healthy lifestyles.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Despite their initial lack of expertise, Jimmy Poh and Wong Dingyao have transformed the activewear scape in Singapore.\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":6499,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[94],"tags":[878,107,104,877,199],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v16.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Kydra: How Two Gym Buddies Created Their Own Line After Failing to Find Functional Activewear in Singapore | DollarsAndSense Business<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Kydra is a Singapore sportswear brand that was launched in 2017 by two gym buddies who were just looking for functional gym outfits, but found none.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/dollarsandsense.sg\/business\/kydra-two-gym-buddies-created-own-line-functional-activewear-in-singapore\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Kydra: How Two Gym Buddies Created Their Own Line After Failing to Find Functional Activewear in Singapore | DollarsAndSense Business\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Kydra is a Singapore sportswear brand that was launched in 2017 by two gym buddies who were just looking for functional gym outfits, but found none.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/dollarsandsense.sg\/business\/kydra-two-gym-buddies-created-own-line-functional-activewear-in-singapore\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"DollarsAndSense Business\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2021-03-22T00:00:59+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2021-03-21T10:23:12+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/dollarsandsense.sg\/business\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/How-Kydra-was-founded.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2000\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1333\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\">\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"4 minutes\">\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dollarsandsense.sg\/business\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/dollarsandsense.sg\/business\/\",\"name\":\"DollarsAndSense Business\",\"description\":\"Helping Real People Build Real Businesses\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":\"https:\/\/dollarsandsense.sg\/business\/?s={search_term_string}\",\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dollarsandsense.sg\/business\/kydra-two-gym-buddies-created-own-line-functional-activewear-in-singapore\/#primaryimage\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/dollarsandsense.sg\/business\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/How-Kydra-was-founded.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/dollarsandsense.sg\/business\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/How-Kydra-was-founded.jpg\",\"width\":2000,\"height\":1333},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dollarsandsense.sg\/business\/kydra-two-gym-buddies-created-own-line-functional-activewear-in-singapore\/#webpage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/dollarsandsense.sg\/business\/kydra-two-gym-buddies-created-own-line-functional-activewear-in-singapore\/\",\"name\":\"Kydra: How Two Gym Buddies Created Their Own Line After Failing to Find Functional Activewear in Singapore | DollarsAndSense Business\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dollarsandsense.sg\/business\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dollarsandsense.sg\/business\/kydra-two-gym-buddies-created-own-line-functional-activewear-in-singapore\/#primaryimage\"},\"datePublished\":\"2021-03-22T00:00:59+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2021-03-21T10:23:12+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dollarsandsense.sg\/business\/#\/schema\/person\/646b232a97348abccb793a5c69165fc8\"},\"description\":\"Kydra is a Singapore sportswear brand that was launched in 2017 by two gym buddies who were just looking for functional gym outfits, but found none.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dollarsandsense.sg\/business\/kydra-two-gym-buddies-created-own-line-functional-activewear-in-singapore\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/dollarsandsense.sg\/business\/kydra-two-gym-buddies-created-own-line-functional-activewear-in-singapore\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dollarsandsense.sg\/business\/kydra-two-gym-buddies-created-own-line-functional-activewear-in-singapore\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"item\":{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dollarsandsense.sg\/business\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/dollarsandsense.sg\/business\/\",\"name\":\"Home\"}},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"item\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dollarsandsense.sg\/business\/kydra-two-gym-buddies-created-own-line-functional-activewear-in-singapore\/#webpage\"}}]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dollarsandsense.sg\/business\/#\/schema\/person\/646b232a97348abccb793a5c69165fc8\",\"name\":\"Adeline Ang\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/dollarsandsense.sg\/business\/author\/adelineang\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dollarsandsense.sg\/business\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6490"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dollarsandsense.sg\/business\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dollarsandsense.sg\/business\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dollarsandsense.sg\/business\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dollarsandsense.sg\/business\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6490"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/dollarsandsense.sg\/business\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6490\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6500,"href":"https:\/\/dollarsandsense.sg\/business\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6490\/revisions\/6500"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dollarsandsense.sg\/business\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6499"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dollarsandsense.sg\/business\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6490"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dollarsandsense.sg\/business\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6490"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dollarsandsense.sg\/business\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6490"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}