With a pair of joggers eas­ily costing above Rs 4,000, our determination to stay fit also weighs heavy on our pockets. To make it relatively cheap to stay healthy two Ace alumni, Yonten Yonjan and Umeed Sherpa, came up with the idea of Gorkha Aesthetics. Established in 2016, Gorkha Aesthetics, better known as GA, is Nepal’s first athletic and lifestyle apparel clothing line. “We are at the forefront of athleisure, a com­bination of athletics and leisure in Nepal,” says Sherpa, a co-founder of GA. The apparels are designed not only for athletic activities but also for casual wear, hence the slogan: WORK | PLAY | WORKOUT.

 

Even though it is a young com­pany, GA has roped in a textile engi­neer who has worked 20 years in the garment industry. The engineer sources the fabrics for the clothes from South Korea and Taiwan. GA is the only company in Nepal that uses N9® fabric, which uses an antibac­terial technology and proprietary fabric blend. Silver is embedded in fiber to fight odor. This unique fab­ric structure also enhances ‘sweat wicking’ and ‘quick-dry’, helping to regulate body temperature and keeping you odor-free during and after training sessions.

 

With t-shirts priced at around Rs 1,000 and jackets and joggers around Rs 2,500, GA is in a way invit­ing everyone to stay fit. “We spent months testing variations of every product to get to the final versions. So when you buy a product from us you know every detail has been accounted for,” says Sherpa.

 

Although the makers agree that innovation is the culture at GA, they also say you don’t have to buy the newest version of each product. Sherpa adds, “We will continue to innovate and keep up with current trends to constantly provide prod­ucts you want to wear. Everything we make is built to last so once you’ve bought a product, it will be your favorite for years to come.”

 

The company’s motto is that since adding features to a garment can increase cost, the value of the func­tion must outweigh the added cost. “Our products have to either save time or money or both compared to the old products you were using. Otherwise they are not worth invest­ing in,” Sherpa says. Also, you don’t have to choose between three dif­ferent joggers depending on the activity, “as you can just buy a pair of GA joggers that are both durable and multifunctional.”

 

GA apparels are sold through four stores across the valley: The Local Project in Jamshikhel, One Tree Stop in Dubarmarg, Diet Nepal in Nagpokhari and Lalitpur Bike Station in Pulchowk. The products are also available through social media networks. It also does busi­ness B2B, so the clientele includes a few corporate companies. GA is also a sponsor of the first-ever the calisthenics competition in Nepal and has funded athletes in the first Nepal Professional Boxing Commission (NPBC).

 

With most of the customers being returning clients, GA believes its business has been built on mutual trust. “We prioritize providing value that leads to a trusting relationship,” Sherpa says. By integrating its pro­prietary and existing performance technologies into the products, GA is working to create the next gen­eration of sportswear and make “Athleisure” wears accessible and affordable