The Women-Owned Outdoor Brand That’s Blazing Their Own Trail

These aren’t the phrases that come to mind when we think about the typical outdoor brand. In a world of camo-covered hike staples and one-size-fits-all ski jackets, personality and play seem to fall by the wayside when it comes to outdoor gear. Enter SENIQ: a brand that not only puts personality at the forefront, but infuses it into every garment they make.

Friends-turned-founders Madison Hilson and Valentina Thompson saw a gap in the outdoor space and knew they were the women to fill it. With bold colors, femme-centric silhouettes, and stylish staples that don’t compromise on tech, SENIQ has officially stepped onto the scene and one thing is abundantly clear: they’re not here to walk the well-beaten path–they’re forging an entirely new trail.

We sat down with Madison and Valentina (Madi and Tina for short) to pick their brains on where they find inspiration, how they set their brand apart, and what’s ahead as they continue their journey down the SENIQ route.

FP MOVEMENT: Tell us a little bit about your background and what led you to start SENIQ.

MADISON HILSON: Tina and I are actually high school friends and had our first jobs together on the Victoria's Secret Sports team. That was kind of our first taste of performance apparel and we caught the bug. We both worked there for a handful of years, went to a few different places, and then met back up at a brand called Backcountry. Living out in Utah, we were getting out on trail every day and it was absolute heaven. We were surrounded by so much outdoor women's product and introduced to so many brands. We were trying it all and we really couldn't find anything that we were excited to put on our bodies when we were going for hikes.

VALENTINA THOMPSON: We came up with this brand right after COVID and everyone in the world was burnt out. We were working hard, playing hard, trying to catch up for lost time. So we found ourselves actually using outdoor movement for our minds. We would call our hikes ‘Therapy Hikes’ and that was a main purpose point for the brand. We wanted to really build this community around using the outdoors for mental reset and recharge.

FPM: That leads really nicely into the brand’s core values - I take it that mental wellness is a big one. How would you describe the brand’s other values and overall mission?

VT: The mission is really to empower women to reset their minds through the outdoors without having to compromise style or performance. I would say mind-first movement is our biggest value. We donate a percentage of sales to mental health foundations, so we're really trying to support that mission through so many different avenues. Another value for us would be individualism. We’re offering silhouettes, aesthetics, and colorways that aren't typically found in outdoor technical gear and the feedback we're getting from our community is that it's really allowing them to express themselves on trail in a way that they haven't been able to before.

FPM: Being a for-women, by-women brand in a male-dominated space like outdoorwear, was there a specific hole that you wanted to fill? What was lacking from other brands as far as needs/wants for women in this space?

VT: Women have been deprioritized in the outdoor industry, and we're so excited to be solving female problems with product solutions. Color is a huge one. A lot of outdoor brands leverage outdoor landscapes for color inspiration, whereas we lean into a lot of runway for inspiration. Fit and silhouette is another big one, especially in the bottoms category. It can be difficult to find some of the more modern standards and expectations, like a high-rise waist, or a bit of extra curve in the leg shape, or cinchable options at an ankle for some of our shorter girls.

For example, our Slope Star Ski Bib actually solves the boob sweat problem on the mountain. The chest part of our bib is not a membrane like typical ski bibs, it's this beautiful 4-way stretch nylon fabric that’s super breathable and has this element of compression that almost holds the girls in like your favorite sports bra. The Slope Star Ski Jacket that matches that bib is one of the first membrane jackets on the market that allows you to alter the silhouette of the jacket without an external belt.

FPM: That’s really interesting and it feels like this is all coming from a very personal place. How much of your own style or philosophy influences the product design?

VT: I would say it's a symbiotic relationship. We launched the brand last year, so we've taken quite a bit of feedback from the community and are starting to alter the collections to what they want and need, but I would say we truly built product that we were craving and couldn't find.

FPM: Would love to hear more about the wellness piece you spoke about earlier. You mentioned your “Therapy Hikes” and are both really outdoorsy yourselves. How much of a role do you think nature and movement play in overall wellness and mindfulness?

MH: I think a lot of people are using the outdoors this way, but maybe just not consciously thinking about it as a mental health tool. For us, we see it as the most accessible form of therapy or wellness. Whether you live in the city or you live in a mountain town, you can get outside. It’s a way to make your problems feel small.

FPM: Yeah, very true. Interesting to speak about it in the sense of accessibility because so much of the wellness space now feels inundated by inaccessible or unrealistic standards.

MH: Definitely. And I think throughout history, too, there's so many different forms of therapy from different cultures that involve the outdoors, and we've kind of gotten away from that as a society. It’s a nice reminder that getting outside for mental clarity is something people have been doing for thousands of years.

FPM: SENIQ donates 1% of sales and 100% of event profits to foundations that provide mental wellness resources to communities that need it most. Are there any specific foundations or initiatives you want to shed light on?

MH On our site, when customers are checking out, we always have the option for them to decide who they want that percentage of their sale to go to. We're also working with Women's Wilderness, which is more of a local philanthropy out of Colorado, and they focus on inclusivity, specifically for women in the outdoor space. We also work with the Mental Health Coalition, which has a broader reach, and they bring resources to underserved communities across the world and help bring awareness to mental health issues.

FPM: Love that! Any other upcoming projects, collaborations, or initiatives you’re particularly excited about?

VT + MH: We have a very exciting influencer collaboration launching next spring that we're stoked on. Be on the lookout for a Hike Collection influencer collab! We also test launched our first ever shell ski kit, and the response has been insane. So we're hoping to build that out in a bigger way, and really just grow our footprint in the ski market, not only in insulated kits, but in shell kits as well.

As far as the founders of SENIQ are concerned, the path less traveled is the one worth taking and we can’t wait to see where the trail takes them next.