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OGDEN — A Utah-based clothing brand is empowering women while protecting the planet, and an adventurous married couple is behind it all.
When Jennifer Killian didn't like how she felt while perusing social media, she ended up deleting her account.
Her husband, Taylor, said she didn't care to take a lot of pictures of herself or post the things she was doing, so he ended up creating an Instagram account last summer where he could document their adventures together.
When Taylor Killian was at an end-of-the-year work party in 2013, his colleagues told him how gorgeous Jennifer was. Rather than just agreeing, he immediately said, "And she's dope, too," before explaining how she rock climbed, mountain biked, went kayaking and hiked with him.
"And for whatever reason 'and she's dope too,' when I said that, just kind of stuck with me," Taylor Killian said.
The "andshesdopetoo" Instagram account became a title for girls who "aren't just another pretty face" and the hashtag of the same name began to form a community of women feeling empowered in their element, The Killians said.
"...we were trying to make women really feel within that they were capable of doing amazing things, going to amazing places," Taylor Killian said.
Last March, the Killians launched their AndShesDopeToo (ASDT) active women's apparel line, which promotes women's participation in the outdoors and brings like-minded women together to do so.
Part of the proceeds go toward affordable or free ASDT meetups, including yoga, rock climbing, trail running and more, and other proceeds go toward organizations and charities that help people and protect the environment.
It's like we portray our highlights of our life, not the outtakes or not the mistakes that happen.
–Jennifer Killian, co-owner of AndShesDopeToo
At the end of this month, ASDT will release a new shirt, and all its proceeds will go toward remote villages in Nepal that are recovering from the earthquakes.
ASDT has also done trail and river maintenance so people can enjoy natural beauty and think more about respecting it.
Taylor Killian said they desperately want to break down the compare and compete culture of social media, and instead, foster media that helps women build each other up.
Jennifer Killian said the ASDT meetups are very welcoming and include women of all ages and all experience levels.
"We are all about introducing women to new things," Jennifer Killian said. "And so we have people there to help them and to teach them and to hold their hand … it's so fun and it's so therapeutic."
Women are being negatively targeted in society and on social media, Jennifer Killian said, and she wants women to come together rather than competing with one another.
"It's like we portray our highlights of our life, not the outtakes or not the mistakes that happen," Jennifer Killian said. "...if women can come together and see how beautiful they truly are, we can accomplish so much together."
Though no specific dates for upcoming events are set up right now, follow the ASDT blog, Facebook and Instagram accounts to be updated on meetups.
The organization is partnering with Snow Basin, so meetups will continue throughout the winter.
