There are a few brands that challenge the norms, push boundaries, ask questions and beg for change. While some lines focus solely on their fast-fashion and pushing out more trends, others brainstorm, sit in dialogue, think deeply and find a void in both the market and in our way of being, and from there, they create.

I’ve covered PRAISE before because as a runner and a lover of all things exercise, I live for athleisure. I have enough leggings and shorts to start my own line, lol! I keep coming back to the brand for so many reasons. One obvious one being that the clothes are incredible – the technology behind the gear makes the athlete in me giddy.

But, it takes more than just a pretty collection or well-constructed clothes to keep a consumer loyal. In my case, the major reason I buy out PRAISE every time I have the chance is because their vision resonates with me. I have tried to pinpoint exactly why, but it wasn’t until their Bleached Punk collection launched that I could put my finger on it.

Bleached Punk has a story, and it truly aligns with something inside of me. Yes, the colour palette is pristine, the fabrics so soft, and the cuts just perfect, but it’s more than that. As PRAISE boasts on their site: it’s a state of mind.

The brand stepped onto the scene in 2016 and has been running full steam ahead ever since. They found a hole in the market that needed filling and they delivered: sport-meet-fashion-meet-punk. They designed this incredible line that works for sport and city streets alike (hence my NYFW look last year), and there is nothing like blending the two to make fashion function. Bleached Punk blazes forward and never looks back, because punk transcends time and lives by its own rules.

It sounds like, well yeah, but what does that have to do with a hoodie? I’ll tell you: when you have those shorts and hoodie on, those running shoes tight up nice and tight, and you hear the sound of each foot hitting the pavement, you aren’t thinking, ‘oh, I hope my legs look good, or I hope my hoodie makes my stomach look flat.’ No. You’re thinking, ‘I can do this. I want to do this. This feels incredible. More, do more. One more block, a few more minutes, take a deep breath, push further, go harder.’ That’s what I’m thinking when I’m working my hardest to feel my best – I do it for me. I do it because it feels amazing and I don’t care what anyone has to say about it.

That’s how I praise my body.

Photography by Patricia Brochu