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These days, Aly Raisman has swapped out her signature sparkly leotards in favor of something a bit more comfortable: cozy basics from Aerie. While the gold-medal-winning Olympic gymnast became a fixture on the 2012 and 2016 US women’s Olympic gymnastic teams — where she captivated viewers with her effortless floor routines and gravity-defying vault stunts — the world champion is enjoying a different kind of success beyond the mat, and it starts with her work as an ambassador for Aerie.
“Aerie does such a good job of genuinely encouraging me and anyone else they work with to be their real, authentic self,” Raisman tells PS ahead of her appearance at the company’s summit, the Aerie Real Fest. “It’s just made for such a special partnership because I really feel like I can be myself and it’s also helped me to gain more confidence.”
In 2018, Raisman joined forces with the brand for its #AerieReal campaign, which expanded on the label’s decade-long commitment to using unretouched photos and championing real people through its products. Since then, she’s designed her own capsule collections alongside Aerie’s team, starred in a number of fashion campaigns, and even partnered with the Aerie Real Foundation to award signature grants to nonprofits that work to educate and empower young women. Girl Talk received this year’s grant at the 2024 summit.
As for how Aerie’s commitment to a more thoughtful ethos will influence the apparel industry as a whole, Raisman hopes their work will usher in a new era. “I do hope that other brands will follow in their footsteps, because I think Aerie really shows that when you are supportive and you pay attention to what customers want and you’re willing to learn and grow, amazing things can happen,” she says.
In an exclusive interview, Raisman chats with PS about her ambassadorship with Aerie — including her recent appearance at the Aerie Real Fest — her favorite products from the brand and elsewhere, and how she hopes to inspire and educate the next generation through her upcoming children’s book.
