Janji and Oiselle announced today that they are teaming up. Together, they want to become the ultimate power running apparel partnership, while each brand still preserves its own unique style and identity.
On a phone call with Runner’s World, Janji co-founder and CEO Dave Spandorfer described the merger with a running analogy. Running a race on your own, you can lose focus or get off-track, explained Spandorfer. But with a pacer, you can run together and accomplish the same end goal of finishing the race. There is no finish line here, said Spandorfer, but there is a shared mission: Bring people together through running.
“What a lot of people don’t think about in these industries is how lonely it can be,” said Sally Bergesen, Oiselle’s founder and CEO. She compared this partnership to a group long run. “You think, ‘Oh my gosh, I never could have done that by myself!’” she said.
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Leadership at both companies knew each other long before the merger. Spandorfer and Oiselle president Atsuko Tamura have been friends for years. Additionally, Spandorfer and Sally talked on and off for the past 11 years after he reached out through e-mail. (Spandorfer miraculously still has that 2012 message saved in his inbox.)
The brands complement each other; both share the same commitment to designing the best apparel for runners and a similar ethos around community and running itself.
Janji is a men’s and women’s running apparel brand with eclectic, funky, bright prints and fabrics. Its ideals underscore exploration and connection, as well as philanthropy by raising funds for clean water.
Oiselle is a Pacific Northwest women’s running apparel brand with the mission to strengthen women and open up the sport for more athletes. It also gives back to the running community by sponsoring pro-runners on Haute Volée (Oiselle’s elite team) and aiding charities, like Bras for Girls.
A Partnership of Equals
The merger is an opportunity for growth and reaching out to more runners. Spandorfer acknowledges that there’s not a strong overlap in their customer base with only four percent of Oiselle athletes saying they buy Janji.
“Both brands will preserve their essence,” said Spandorfer, emphasizing that this partnership only means Janji will become “more Janji” and Oiselle will become “more Oiselle.”
Bergesen calls the merger a “partnership of equals,” with both brands remaining independent and committed to their areas. Bergesen is stepping down as CEO, taking on the role of brand advisor instead. However, Oiselle will continue being a woman-led brand with Atsuko Tamura carrying on as president. Lauren Fleshman and Kara Goucher will also keep their roles as Oiselle’s brand strategy advisor and athlete advisor, respectively.
“I’m okay with Oiselle flying under new leadership,” said Bergesen. “I trust Atsuko at being that day-to-day leader. But I’m not going anywhere. I just don’t have to continue being at the front of that flying V.”
Design, marketing, and manufacturing will remain the same for both brands. Like the founders’ running analogies, you could say Oiselle and Janji are in it for the long run.
Amanda is a test editor at Runner’s World who has run the Boston Marathon every year since 2013; she's a former professional baker with a master’s in gastronomy and she carb-loads on snickerdoodles.
