With the holidays coming up, you are probably looking for a great gift for the lifters in your life. Look no further than “Violate the Dress Code,” the unique fitness lifestyle brand created by Philadelphian Chris Zimmerman. Chris wears many hats: bodybuilder, entrepreneur, and photographer. “Violate” has hats, shirts, leggings and just about any other piece of apparel you can think of to look good both in the gym and out. Chris tries “to appeal to people who work hard and are true to themselves. You are not going to find designs like mine from any of the other brands.” By tapping into more artistic, design-based elements, Chris Zimmerman has found immense success by finding a niche in an oversaturated market.
“I’m an artist at heart. I love music… that’s what moves me. Since I’m so art and design driven, I don’t want to reduce ‘Violate’ to a single image or message.” In today’s image driven culture, that can be tough. The fitness lifestyle apparel market is huge and continues to grow. Go on Instagram and you can find a number of brands that market themselves in different ways, constantly inundating you with beautiful bodies bearing their logo. From military-inspired designs and aesthetic to brands with a more hardcore sensibility, there seems to be a fitness lifestyle brand aimed at everyone. Perhaps the most well known is Dana Lynn Bailey’s “Flag nor Fail.” Bailey, the physique pro-cum-social media star has leveraged her fame on YouTube and Instagram into a well-known brand all her own. “Dana, I have to give her props. She was in the right place at the right time. From a visibility standpoint, she has done more for the sport of bodybuilding than anyone since Arnold Schwarzenegger.”
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| IFBB PRO JULIANA MALACARNE |
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| IFBB PRO LARISSA REIS |
Chris uses an entirely social media-driven approach to market “Violate.” He says that “In this day and age, why waste money on traditional marketing and ads? You can bring your product directly to the consumer. Fitness is so big now, and so many people want to be a part of it, that it’s easier than ever to engage like-minded individuals.” His artistic designs help set him apart in what is increasingly becoming a trend-driven market. These designs are meant to make you want to feel a part of a special breed of athlete, “definitely outgoing, and definitely not conservative.” He has a team of athletes that collaborate with him on everything from photo shoots to shirt design. These athletes include current Ms. Olympia Juliana Malacarne and international fitness model Larissa Reis. Having stars like this on his roster helps Chris to engage with everyone from bikini competitors to female bodybuilders and every kind of competitor in between.
“I try and make the entire process as human a possible. I have learned my lessons, chief among them that customer service is key. I take every email; have a hand in making everything. I want nothing to be mass-produced so that each item is as individual as the athlete wearing it.” Chris truly values engagement. One of “Violate’s” more popular shirts, a spoof of the “Parental Advisory” sticker that reads “Not Planet Fitness Approved” gained viral fame. “It was really cool to see how that shirt exploded, because that’s the kind of shirt tailor-made for social media. I have a shirt I am working on now, with a big Phoenix on the front meant to represent the overcoming of obstacles.” He says its important to have a wide array of designs because he knows different sectors of the fitness community will engage differently with each. “Someone once told me I should stay with one look. I can’t do that as an artist. There is always a style I want to try.”
Chris truly believes that staying true to himself and working hard has gotten him to where he is today. Violate represents the beauty of the struggle that need to chase the dream and be better. To quote one of “Violate’s” most popular shirts: “Be a wolf in a world of sheep.” If you are looking for a gift that will motivate and inspire, Violate should be at the top of the list. It’s your originality that sets you apart, and Chris realizes that. “It’s tough…you can’t and don’t please everyone, but it challenges you.”
OFFICIAL WEBSITE: http://www.violatethedresscode.com/
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