Where Sport Meets Style

With Tassley, Kimberley Milstein is designing elevated
activewear that moves seamlessly from the court to everyday life.

BY CASEY COUCH

From the golf course, to the stands of a baseball field, or to the confines of a country club, the boundaries between sport, style and high fashion have officially blurred and Tassley’s SportsReign, ChinoiseReign and EquestReign Collection lines are at the center of it. 

In April 2025, Novelty, OH resident Kimberley Milstein, alongside her longtime creative partner Jennifer Adams, co-founded the brand Tassley, putting a decorative spin on America’s newest fashion trend – activewear – and making the case that comfort, performance and couture can coexist. 

Combining the comfort of activewear with the elegant symbol of a golden tassel, the brand brings a fresh perspective to their clothing that transfers seamlessly from “sport to resort” with fabric that moves and breathes with the body’s active, everyday lifestyle.

In a one-on-one interview with JStyle, Milstein shares the evolution of Tassley, the meaning behind its signature tassel motif and how the brand brings a fashion sensibility to sport.

How did you get started in fashion and design?

I began modeling at around 19 years old, and I was affiliated with several agencies – one in Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Chicago and Los Angeles. I did lifestyle, commercial type of work and was in locations like Seventeen, Brides Magazine, Modern Bride, department stores like Kauffman’s and Dillard’s, and runway shows for Saks Fifth Avenue and Nordstrom. I also appeared in catalogs, commercials, infomercials and an HBO film with Rob Lowe. 

At the same time, I attended Ursuline College and studied merchandising and design.  That’s when I began sewing belts and designing a line of clutches.  I partnered with a Chicago manufacturer -his name was Seymour Ferdman- and he generously took me under his wing and he guided me through the early stages of manufacturing. 

Tell me the story behind launching Tassley. 

Launching Tassley has been a long creative journey. Early on, I moved from belts and bags into accessories and tech accessories, as well as home goods using a dye sublimation process (a method of printing designs directly onto products using heat). I spent long days heat pressing and infusing designs on products, and that venture led us on an appearance on Good Morning America. 

During the dye sublimation, we opened a marketplace called The Republic of Artists in Warrensville Heights, and we created a design bar there where we produced customized dye supplementation items. We were trying to master on-demand items – making the products there as fast as we could. 

After that, I found out I was going to be a mother and I stepped away from dye sublimation because of the fumes from the machine and I focused more on family. My longtime creative partner, Jennifer Adams, and I continued designing together. 

Jennifer was reincarnating velvet coats with these beautiful trims, and we spent a lot of time visiting design centers and admiring their fabrics. We loved the fabrics so much that we began designing couture-like, one-of-a-kind coats and we exhibited at shows like the One Of A Kind Show in Chicago and the MacKenzie-Childs Show in New York. 

When Covid (-19 pandemic) arrived, our lifestyle shifted, and we found ourselves wanting clothing that felt soft, flexible and easy for everyday life – especially with children – but that was still beautiful. 

We couldn’t find activewear that carried the elegance and artistry of the fabrics that we loved, so we decided to create our own, and that eventually became Tassley. 

Your brand is inspired by the symbol of the tassel. How did that idea emerge as the foundation of your brand? 

Tassels have fascinated us for years because of their symbolism across cultures. They represent protection, luck, honor, status and celebration. 

In our couture coats, we often used fringe and tassels as embellishments, and when designing our performance garments, we realized that traditional trims wouldn’t work. We needed something washable and functional, so we began printing the tassels instead of attaching them, giving the garment the visual richness of decorative trims while remaining completely wearable and washable. 

The tassel then became the foundation of our brand identity. We loved the symbolism so much that we created the name Tassley – a word we hope one day might appear in the dictionary as something inspired by the timeless symbol of the tassel. 

What were the challenges in building your brand? 

The biggest challenge was how long it took to perfect the garments. What we thought would take months ended up taking nearly two years. We worked with a fashion development company in New York and an overseas factory, and the process involved endless sampling, pattern adjustments and fabric testing. We were determined to achieve very specific goals, like collars that stand beautifully, fabrics that are incredibly soft and durable, and garments that maintain their structure after washing.

Where did the inspiration behind the Sport and Resort line come from?

Our lifestyle naturally led us there. Jennifer is a golfer and I play tennis. We both love travel and resort destinations, so we wanted clothing that felt appropriate at a country club, a tennis court, a golf resort or a sporting event. That crossover between sport and resort and lifestyle fashion felt like a natural direction for our brand. 

How can fashion contribute to athletic confidence and self-expression?

When someone feels good in what they’re wearing, it changes how they carry themselves. Athletic clothing today is worn everywhere, from the court, to lunch, to travel, and we believe activewear can be both functional and expressive – allowing people to show personality and style while still feeling comfortable and confident. Our goal with Tassley is to bring a sense of beauty and individuality into sport clothing. 

Tell me about the idea to create designs inspired by sports. 

We love the spirit of sports and the sense of community they create. Many of our designs incorporate classic American colors, which we feel makes them suitable for baseball games, football games or other sporting events. We also wanted to pay tribute to my late brother, who was an equestrian, so we created tunics that were inspired by equestrian colors and tradition and that transfer beautifully from equestrian settings to football stadiums. 

What is a favorite piece of yours in the sport and resort line and why? 

One of my favorite pieces is the white sports tunic with red and blue stripes and gold accents. It’s clean, classic and very all-American. I’m especially excited to wear it during the Summer Olympics because it captures that feeling of American sport and timeless style. 

Where can our readers find your products?

Tassley.com and @tassley on Instagram. Come follow us! We love to create videos, artwork and our own collages.