EMILY TONKIN

ENTREPRENUER 

There was stillness on the set but restlessness within as Emily Tonkin waited to be shot. The year was 2008 and, at the time, the LA-based lifestyle brand entrepreneur was about leave behind a professional dance career for an unknown future. 

Today, she emerges from a profound journey steeped in reinvention, empowerment, and marketplace savvy with the 30Fifteen platform dedicated to the mantra: Feel Good, Look Good. Her flattering, functional, and fashionable tennis themed dresses, tops, and skirts allow customers to radiate beauty--from the inside out. 30Fifteen US Headquarters & Studio is located at 1336 Electric Ave, Venice, CA, is notable for its naturally lit, chic and contemporary interior, its warm communal vibe, and its skilled and down to earth staff of teachers. It enables women, and men—its doors are open to everybody—the chance to radiate from the inside. 

The name 30Fifteen references the tennis score where the server is in the lead, but needs to stay focused on the game to carry on with the victory. “It’s a reflection on life and self-growth: theoretically there’s a win coming at this stage of the game, but it's not for certain- as in life, you still need to put in the work to reach your end result,” Emily says.

Emily’s career path reflects her ethos of empowerment. After realizing her career in dance had ceased to be fulfilling, she bravely embraced a winding path that resulted in her returning home to the UK, detouring in the entertainment business, before pursuing an impulse to explore the world of fashion. Uncertain of her role in the fashion world, she registered for an 18-month college program that covered virtually every facet of the industry. By the time she graduated, she eyed a career in merchandising or buying, and secured a prestigious position at a London garment supplier where she rose to prominence. 

“It wasn’t the dream I envisioned,” Emily confesses. “My soul wasn’t being fed.” On the side, she had begun sketching clothing designs to satisfy her creativity. A friend of hers in the industry noticed her work, pitched his boss, and Emily soon found herself with investors. Her education in the business of the industry, her strong reputation in the business and network of contacts, and her self-assuredness helped her serve a career win.

30Fifteen activewear is affordable and expertly designed for women by women in the UK to offer game-time comfort and performance durability, leisure chic style, and each piece is tailored to compliment and contour a variety of body types.  “There was a study in London that revealed a lot of women don’t exercise because they feel too self conscious,” Emily explains. “I eliminate that option. I want to create clothing that honors who women are and helps them own it. Everyone should love themselves.”  To this end, each item comes with a card that not only gives the customer information about the garment, it provides an uplifting message. The 30Fifteen studio is another powerful facet of Emily’s life, and an intrinsic component to her work under the Feel Good, Look Good ethos. “As I have evolved, I’ve realized that feeling good comes from inside, and that’s why I created the studio,” she says. “I want to give people the tools to feel good.”

The studio offers a broad array of yoga and group fitness classes. Emily is one of the instructors at the studio, and for her, yoga has been a transformative practice. It provided her a fresh, inspiring and healing way to express her life with her body after leaving dance.  

30Fifteen US Headquarters & Studio whisks visitors away to a centered feeling of warmth and tranquility. The Venice, California oasis features a mystery garden, ceiling to floor windows, exposed brick, and an intimate interior. Adding to this is Emily’s commitment to building an inclusive and inviting community around the studio. “LA is so busy, I wanted to create a place with heart and soul, where people can pop in and say ‘hi,’ and first timers feel welcome and regulars feel like they belong to something real,” she says.

To foster this spirit, she’s meticulously assembled her staff. “The biggest thing I look for is authenticity. I want our teachers to be approachable, real, knowledgeable, and able to make the practice fun,” Emily says.

Pausing to contemplate her life’s work, Emily reflects: “I was brought into this life with a constant commitment to feeling good. I’ve learned that there are a lot of external factors that take this away. I know what’s it’s like to feel down and lost. Now it’s my mission to help others feel good.”