Welcome!

Hey there! 

My name is Zoë, the owner and designer of LAYA Active. I am thrilled to introduce our blog 

First, though, let me tell you a little about myself. I am a New Orleans transplant and grew up on both the West and the East Coast. I have worked in the fitness industry and the service industry for several years.

After practicing yoga for a decade on and off, I became a registered yoga teacher (RYT 200) in 2018 at Free To Be Power Yoga. I currently teach yoga with Free To Be Power Yoga, Nola Vibe Yoga, and Love Your Brain. I also help manage the Free To Be studios! 

Now, how did LAYA Active come about? Well, LAYA Active was founded in New Orleans by Mariesa Barbara in 2017. Our signature vibrant and fun designs caught my eye and I became a fan! Flash forward to 2019, Mariesa moved to the Caribbean to live her best life (seriously… check out her instagram here), and I bought LAYA Active! 

Today LAYA Active is a sustainable and socially conscious athleisure brand still designed in and inspired by New Orleans. Our mission is to design joyful, sustainable, and socially responsible activewear for you, the conscious consumer. From the fabric to the packaging and shipping, each product is designed with careful consideration of its environmental impact. Additionally, with each purchase, you have the opportunity to donate a portion of the sales to a local non-profit organization of your choice. 

This blog will serve as another outlet for us to share more about what our community is up to as well and more information about what we’re passionate about. You can expect a couple blog posts a month that range from topics like:

• Behind the scenes content on our process and company
• Information on the recycled fabrics we use
• Product highlights
• Updates on our sustainability goals
• Interviews with our non-profit partners
• Local guest writers
• Eco-Friendly Trends + News
• Yoga tips + shares from the resident yoga instructor (aka: me!)

Community and transparency are part of our core values (link to core values page) at LAYA Active, and we believe a blog is a great way to integrate those values into the daily workings of our company. 

Be sure to subscribe to our newsletter to get alerts on our blog posts and get the first word on guest writers and events!

Chat soon!

Zoë Thibeault-Stone 
Owner/Designer LAYA Active LLC
200 RYT
New Orleans, LA