Hope Chest to Host Olympian Allison Baver

Baver will promote her activewear line at the lingerie store’s new Wayne location.

Two weeks ago, the owner of Haverford’s Hope Chest, Donna Goetz, finally got her wish. She opened a second location of her lingerie boutique in Wayne. To celebrate years of work—it took five years for her ideal spot to become available—she’s hosting a grand opening party on Friday, June 23 at 7 p.m. U.S. Olympian and fashion designer Allison Baver, who originally hails from Pennsylvania, will be in attendance, as well, promoting her new activewear line.

At Hope Chest’s new location, Goetz plans to offer “the same thing we do in Haverford”: bra fittings by appointment, plus a bevvy of undergarments, including bras, underwear and shapewear, plus pajamas.

Baver’s line of athletic wear will be a nice complement to Goetz’s offerings. “We thought it would be great to have a trunk show with [Baver] and a cocktail party,” Goetz says, who has been in the lingerie business for over 25 years and has lived in Wayne for more than 20.

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Both the Victory and Flawless lines from Baver’s collection only just launched. The collections feature high quality sports bras and leggings. The Flawless sports bra and high-waisted leggings are made of a pink and black compression fabric that features photographic printing of cascades of diamonds. Baver noted that the waistband is rubber, rather than elastic, to avoid cutting into the stomach.

The Victory collection’s compression sports bra and leggings offer a simpler look with black with white trim and gold logos. Perhaps the most dramatic touch is the white back of the black leggings. “It kind of comes down into what looks like a thong in the back,” Baver says. “For women that have a booty, it makes you look good. And for women who don’t have one, it makes their butt look really nice.”

Baver is no stranger to athletic wear. The short track speed skater qualified for the Olympics three times and won bronze in the 2010 Games. After hanging up her skates, Baver founded Off the Ice Foundation to promote children’s skating, while also focusing on her fashion brand, Allison Baver New York.

Baver says she felt “disempowered” as an athlete wearing overly masculine activewear designs and muted colors, and wanted to change that. “I really saw a gap in the market. I wanted to design something that was actually sexy and that enhanced a woman’s body,” Baver says.   

At the Hope Chest trunk show, visitors will be able to try on and buy Baver’s line and meet the designer. Having grown up in Sinking Springs, near Reading, Baver says she’s happy to have a local partner in Hope Chest.

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Goetz believes it’s a natural fit since many of her customers have an interest in athletic wear and believes Baver’s line will be a new frontier for Hope Chest, which hasn’t offered sports bras in the past. She also notes that “Allison is just a little bit more… geared towards boutiques,” than other brands.

Though no formal agreement has been established, both Baver and Goetz hope to continue a relationship and for Baver’s apparel to be available at Hope Chest.

104 E. Lancaster Ave., Wayne. 

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