What happens when two best friends with a passion for fashion and community join together? You get a bold brand reshaping the future of activewear. Kristine Esmer and Mille Skat founded Planet Nusa in 2018 to shake up an industry oversaturated with fast fashion with a mission to build a strong community around the activewear they were designing. At the core of Planet Nusa, a direct-to-consumer brand, is connection, quality and movement. From design and production to collaboration with suppliers, partners and customers, Skat and Esmer are committed to this community-driven ethos they’re now looking to take globally. The founders and best friends spoke with us about their passions, goals, favorite lip gloss and more.
Tell me, when and where did your passion for fashion start?
Mille: My passion started as far back as I remember. I have memories of iconic outfits I wore during my childhood. I would spend hours drawing outfits for my characters and it’s pretty much how I spent my days outside of sports activities. That love for fashion only grew bigger as I got older, especially during my teenage years & so personal style was very important to me.
Kristine: I’ve always loved what style could do for someone’s mindset. I was extremely drawn to experimenting with my style during my upbringing, which wasn’t always easy since I spent a lot of time playing golf where the attire is more strict. When I got into retail I remember feeling the joy when I was able to help someone finding that one item that made them feel more empowered. That was super impactful & something I continued to love & focus on while building Planet Nusa.
Why did you decide to start your own brand? And what was it like starting from scratch with just an idea?
We decided to start our own brand because we were really missing a sense of purpose in our lives. We’ve always loved fashion and we were also really passionate about being active together in our spare time. Many things happen when you leave home and move to a larger city. What you once recognized as community spaces, you now have to build on your own. That was the foundation of what was to become Planet Nusa, where activewear and community were interlinked from the start.
Once we had locked in on the brand idea, we started prepping to actually bring our vision to life. That part was both very unsettling and super exciting. We were naive in a sense that it was our first time building a business but that ultimately helped tremendously. We were so focused on making Planet Nusa happen because we wanted to create that active and mindful experience we had longed for ourselves.
The brand is clearly intentional with its ethos and qualities the brand stands behind. Can you speak to us about this idea of community, transparency and overall standards? And why is this so important to Planet Nusa?
Building something of your own gives you the freedom to shape the business around your values. It was clear to us that we wanted to design products with intention. A testament to that is the fact that four of the seven original products we launched with on April 1st, 2019 are still part of our core collection today. That wouldn’t be possible without the support of our community who has been backing us every step of the way. We’ve welcomed and encouraged feedback from our community from day one! That was more seamless in the beginning when it was just us answering all DMs and chats. As we’ve grown we’ve kept encouraging feedback by staying close to our community. Online that happens via emails and open feedback sessions every quarter on Instagram. Physically it happens through our events, where we’re always ready to engage with our community. They’ve played a huge part in our growth, and they have direct influence on our drops & new core styles. We are eternally grateful that they want to continue to speak up!
As founders, having a strong sense of purpose is so meaningful. Building a business isn’t easy, so staying true to our values gives us the motivation to keep going, especially during the more trying periods.
What’s it been like working with your best friend? Do you recommend it?
It’s been great! We spend time together every day and honestly, that’s the best part. During rough periods, we lean on one another & always trust each other completely. There’s nothing better than sharing the journey. That said, we were colleagues before we became friends, and a big part of why we felt confident starting Planet Nusa was because we knew we worked well together. We had different skillsets that complemented each other and we were able to cover the basics for building a brand & producing activewear. So for us that was an advantage too.
What’s your ultimate dream for the future of Planet Nusa?
The dream is to reach as many people as possible with the message that belonging to a community matters. The impact our community has had over the past six years has been incredible. To get those messages saying, “I didn’t think I could run three miles, but your team was so incredible and got me through it” or think back on the friendships we’ve seen grow over the years is everything to us.
What’s the best compliment or bit of recognition you’ve gotten so far?
Honestly, it’s seeing people in our activewear and showing up for our events. The ultimate high is spotting our planets on the road. It feels so rewarding to see the support and to know that they’ve prioritized Planet Nusa as part of their active lifestyle.
Any fashion or beauty tips you’d like to share with our readers?
Mille: During the Summer I live in capris! It’s my ultimate thing. I style them for my active sessions and for days in the office as well as occasional date nights with my husband. I’m not the most regimented with any beauty routine but one thing that I always keep in my bag is my Mason Pearson brush to just refresh or re-do my hair during the day. I often go from the office to going for a run or picking up my kid on my bike and it helps me feel just a tad more put together.
Kristine: I’m training for a half marathon and part of my motivation is having a great race day outfit. Wearing color makes me feel more empowered, so I’ll be styling some of our more colorful tops with a pair of Power Shorts that have pockets for the things I need for my run. I never leave home without a Rhode Lip Gloss. I love how a glossed lip adds a little something to almost any outfit.
Favorite community activity to take part in?
Kristine: I love joining our weekly Nusa Runs in Copenhagen on Wednesdays and when we travel we always try to tap into local active communities and try new classes to experience new energy.
Mille: Right now, with a toddler, I’m a bit more limited with timing. But I love going to our mindful events like Nusa Swims combined with breathwork. It gives me a lot of purpose to start the day with an intention.
