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The week before 437 received its first celebrity endorsement—a post by Australian influencer Tammy Hembrow wearing the brand’s white bandeau bikini—founders Hyla Nayeri and Adrien Bettio were on the verge of giving up. “We were in tears. No one was buying our stuff,” Nayeri reflects. It was 2018, and they were a year into working on their business full-time after graduating from Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario. Nayeri had just moved to LA, sold her car for extra cash, and was making no profit from sales. When she stood in line at a meet-and-greet to gift Hembrow a 437 swimsuit, she didn’t expect that it would be shared with millions the next day. That exposure gave them credibility, a steady flow of orders and a renewed sense of hope. Seven years later, 437 is the uniform of clean-girl Instagramability. It’s been worn by Kylie and Kendall Jenner. It lives on pilates-inspired Pinterest boards. Its feed is a world of organized aspiration, featuring dewy women in monochromatic sets going on morning coffee runs or using reformer machines. 437 was “the opposite of an overnight success,” says Nayeri. But now that it’s certifiably viral, its co-founders see their bond as its driving force. [instagram-oembed url=”https://www.instagram.com/p/DHmaV8gsUDA/?img_index=1″ /] “When we started the business, we made a pact that we were always going to put our friendship first,” Nayeri says. “We value quality of life for ourselves and our team, and friendship is part of that. So if we had to give up our business to maintain this friendship, we would—we’d go get other jobs—because that matters more to us.”
Photography courtesy of 437
But after weathering the stress of early-days instability and managing rapid growth—all while coming out with coveted, high-quality designs—it’s clear that Nayeri and Bettio have a pretty good handle on things. Below, Nayeri shares her no-fuss approach to getting dressed, her work-life-balance ethos, and the wellness-y splurges she can’t live without.
How she starts her morning
I wake up around 8 a.m., and I’ll typically visualize my dream life for about 10 minutes, whether through a guided prompt or on my own. I start my day with that before checking anything. Lately, I’ve been really into my supplement routine, so I’ll spend five to 10 minutes taking a bunch of supplements: probiotics, vitamin C, colostrum, L-glutamine, electrolytes, sea moss, Coconut Cult—I love it all. If it’s hyped up on TikTok, I’m getting it.
How she describes her personal style
Some people say a matching set is “cheating,” but I’m all for it. I love a simple, neutral, monochromatic look with good jewellery. When it’s time to dress up, I go for elegant, sexy, and feminine, like a white linen dress with accessories and a sandal. If I’m not in 437 activewear, I live in dresses.
What she’s excited about right now
At 437, we’ve really figured out our voice, so we’re going through a slight rebrand in the next few months. When we started the business, we were 20, and our customers were mainly in their early 20s, too. Although I don’t think a brand always has to grow with the founders, we’re at this stage now where a lot of our customers are in the late 20s category. So we want to make sure that we’re truly speaking to them. [instagram-oembed url=”https://www.instagram.com/p/DEveW6-pqwV/?img_index=1″ /] Beyond that, I’m excited for this new generation of women who are conscious of balancing their career with their wellness, instead of burning out. We need that. It’s been a big part of 437’s ethos. We’re a small team, and we do a four-day work week, which has helped us find work-life balance. It started as a pilot project, just to see how it would go, and we haven’t looked back.
How she makes a tough career decision
I think about what my dream life is—not in a vain, bougie way, but rather: how do I want to feel? I want to be a peaceful person who stops to smell the roses; I don’t have to always be stressed out. I want the feeling of peace. So I ask myself, “Can I get that in this career move?” At 437, we are constantly making choices like that.
Photography courtesy of 437
The last book that inspired her
I just read Outwitting the Devil. It talks about how the devil controls us, metaphorically, when we’re not critically thinking. Society makes us feel like we need to be married and have kids by 30 years old. Outwitting the Devil is about allowing yourself to question those societal notions and finding clarity in your mind. Another book I’m reading right now is The Other Significant Others, which is about the importance of friendship. People make their romantic partners they’re everything, but really, most things that you get from a romantic partner, you can get in your friendships. One of the biggest factors in our happiness is our sense of community, and I think as a society, we’re not embracing friendship in the way that we should.
Her favourite go-to spot in Toronto
For pilates, I love Jaybird. Their classes are pretty tough—you actually sweat. I like that it’s dark and there are no mirrors. The music, the vibe, the workout, it’s all just so intentional and allows you to be reflective. It’s perfect if you just want to put the world away and get some good exercise in.
The buzzy beauty treatment she’s really into
I go to a sauna a few times a week. I do micro-needling at least once every few months. I get facials and skin treatments one to two times a month. I love it all! When it comes to wellness, that’s a category I will spend in, because it makes me feel good. But it goes hand in hand with taking the supplements and eating right. I want to feel good from the inside out.
What she splurges on
Aside from wellness, I splurge on dresses. I’m constantly buying dresses, typically secondhand on The RealReal. With resale, it feels like we’re all just swapping clothes. Recently, I found a Chanel classic flap bag—it’s suede, brown, and a beautiful vintage style. [content_module id=”1″] Continue Reading
