User:Casseyho/OGorgeous

oGorgeous is a Yoga and Pilates accessories brand based in the San Francisco Bay Area, California, USA. Founded by Cassey Ho in 2008, a Pilates Instructor and college student at the time, oGorgeous was created to fuse together two extremes: fashion and fitness. The line was first debuted in Spring 2009 and consists of nine stylish yoga mat bag designs.

Background
oGorgeous was born when Cassey Ho, an avid Pilates instructor decided that she needed a bag to carry to the gym that would fit her yoga mat, music, microphone, water bottles, towels, and a change of clothes - all while looking put-together and fashionable. The concept was conceived in Summer 2008 and was brought to life in Spring 2009. The bags are made in California from start to finish and are mainly sold through the online oGorgeous Gym Boutique. oGorgeous will be featured on KTLA's morning show on August 6th, 2009.

About the Founder
Cassey Ho started doing Pilates when she was looking to get more toned for the Miss Teen Chinatown pageant she was entering. It started with the Windsor Pilates home exercise videos and it ended with her capturing the crown and going on to be a Pilates instructor in college, teaching for private studios as well as bigger corporate gyms.

While studying Biology and Business Administration at Whittier College on a full ride scholarship, Cassey Ho veered off course one summer and chose to explore her childhood passion for fashion design. She landed an internship with Effie's Heart, a women's clothing company. One of Ho's handbag designs, "The Cassey Tote" made it in the Spring and Summer 2008 line and was sold in boutiques nationwide. Ho also had her rendition of Coco Chanel's "Little Black Dress" featured on the San Francisco Fashion Week runway in Summer 2007.

Ho still finished her intended studies 2009, in fact graduating with Honors in Biology, but is now running oGorgeous, designing, and teaching Pilates.

Philosophy
As described on the oGorgeous website, the mission statement states the following: "We just make working out another opportunity to look good and feel great. Going to the gym should be an occasion, a celebration - so dress up to get fit! The better you look, the better you feel, and the better you will perform."