Wendy Gavinski was frustrated. A lifelong sledder, she was irked by the snowmobiling outfits available for women, which consisted primarily of men’s gear sized down for women and coloured pink. But instead of resigning herself to being mistaken for a guy on the trails, she founded her own company.
Divas SnowGear is entering its second snow season and has just rolled out a line of snowmobiling wear and accompanying accessories specifically for women. While searching for new career opportunities a few years ago, Gavinski combined her interest in fashion design with her enthusiasm for snowmobiling and took on the role of owner and designer of her own company.
“To cater to what women wanted, we interviewed around 2,000 women snowmobilers throughout the midwestern states, and asked them a series of questions, just to find out what was most important to them and how they would choose their gear,” said Gavinski. “The most important thing all across the board was warmth, and the second and third components were comfort and a feminine fit.”
Working with a company overseas, she took her initial drawings—“(they) literally started as pencil on the back of a napkin,” said Gavinski—to develop prototypes for the gear. Several prototypes were created over about 18 months, until the final models were decided.
Marketing the line involved travelling to many trade shows and connecting with industry insiders. Gavinski advertised on some of the well-known snowmobile forums, and social media also played a major role in getting the word out.
Judging from the overwhelmingly positive feedback Gavinski has received, she’s accomplished her goal of giving women sledders something of their own and providing an alternative to the standard snowmobiling gear.
“We offer an attractive, feminine, slim and sleek design while keeping you warm and dry at the same time," she said. "It’s not only cute and fashionable, it’s functional.”
Divas SnowGear is available from several American retailers and can be ordered online to Canada consumers.
