ILU was born way before COVID19 made working from home a way of life. I was in the gym most days in activewear, but (as you may have guessed), I couldn’t find activewear I liked. The fit, the style, the fabric and/or the price, there was always something which didn’t work.  So I set out to create my own brand and that’s how ILU began. 

Working out and eating well is a non-negotiable for me now, but I wasn’t always into health and fitness. Far from it! For many years I was a City lawyer living on late night takeaways, coffee and chocolate, working long hours to tight deadlines, with adrenalin running through my veins. Dare I say it, I enjoyed the buzz and the fast paced lifestyle.

It took a knock to my personal health and a family tragedy to make me realise how important our health is, and how short life is. I began to think I needed to do something other than working in the City writing documents for investment banks.

So I started looking for an adventure in health and fitness, and even trained as a PT part time, whilst working in the City. Which is how I found myself in the gym thinking about activewear. And the rest is history, as they say. 

ILU means Beauty in Estonian. I care about beauty. I wanted to create an activewear brand that was beautifully feminine, flattering and also functional. A brand with styles to catch your eye and make you say “ooh..”, but also grounded enough to flatter you, to wash well and last through workouts, yoga practices and everyday life. Sourced responsibly, made consciously, and priced sensibly- this is activewear, after all. And it’s for real life. 

I hope you love it. 

Mary Moran

You may also enjoy reading:

You’ve got just weeks left – be ready!

The HIIT House Studio celebrates its first year in Oxshott