SET ACTIVE's Lindsey Carter on Motherhood and Her Matching Activewear Sets

Lindsey Carter, the woman behind SET ACTIVE's aesthetic matching workout sets you've been seeing all over your Instagram feed, recently gave birth to her first child, Ace. In celebration of Mother's Day (May 9), we caught up with the new mom before her due date about the making of her brand, the design inspiration behind her garments, how she kept fit and healthy during her pregnancy, and more.

Prior to establishing SET in 2018, Carter ran her very own social media company. During her busy schedule full of meetings, workouts and other errands, Carter realized how she was in need of an all-rounded outfit that would make her feel cute and confident at the same time. "I never felt 'put together' in any activewear or athleisure that was on the market – more often than not, it just made me feel guilty if I wore it and missed a workout. I couldn’t find what I was looking for, so I decided to create it myself," Carter tells HYPEBAE.

Now loved for its monochromatic sets, the Los Angeles-based label's catalog includes a variety of styles ranging from its best-selling SCUPTFLEX™ silhouettes to Basics line. To find out more about the founding of SET and what it has in store in the future, read on for our full interview.

Take us back to the beginning, how did SET ACTIVE come to be?

Before founding SET, I was running my own social media company. This meant I was on the go constantly, running all over LA – from coffees to meetings to workouts and more. I needed an outfit that could keep up with me, but I also wanted to feel cute and confident in what I was wearing. I never felt “put together” in any activewear or athleisure that was on the market – more often than not, it just made me feel guilty if I wore it and missed a workout. I couldn’t find what I was looking for, so I decided to create it myself.

Where did the idea of focusing on matching sets come from?

I’m someone who loves to feel good and look good in what I’m wearing, but I don’t necessarily have the time to commit to styling my own wardrobe every day. When I started SET, I wanted to make it as easy as possible for people like me to get dressed in the morning. So, I imagined a concept that included monochromatic matching sets to make it effortless and put together a look that feels functional, looks sophisticated and is "set" for the day.

Where do you draw your design inspiration from?

My eyes are always open and drawing inspiration from the world around me. I don’t really look at what other athleisure brands are doing because I want to make sure SET stays innovative and unique, but I’ve found inspiration in everything, from an interior design style to the color of someone’s nail polish. One of the coolest things about SET is that the design process is incredibly collaborative. Not only does our entire team get to have a seat at the table to pitch ideas, but we constantly invite our SET community to share their ideas and feedback with us so we know we’re designing exactly what they want.

What are some goals you have for SET ACTIVE in the next few years?

SET has a lot of exciting things happening in the next few years. In addition to the collaborations we have planned, we’re going to be introducing a new activewear fabric to our lineup, and venturing into new categories, like SET Sleep and SET Swim. We’re also in the initial stages of building a SET Men’s collection, likely dropping in 2022. Beyond that, we don’t have anything solidified that we can share – I’m a big believer that the world changes quickly, so it’s important to stay nimble and be flexible in order for us to easily adapt.

Do you have some brands or influential names in mind you hope to collaborate with in the future?

We have some major collaborations planned for this year and the next that I can’t share yet, but they’re great opportunities that we’re really grateful for and excited about. I think an absolute dream collaboration for SET would be with someone like Rihanna. She’s obviously insanely talented and beautiful, but above all, she’s so incredibly authentic and real, which is really empowering and refreshing in our world.

Can you share with us what your fitness routine used to be before you got pregnant?

Pre-pregnancy, I loved doing HIIT and strength training sessions at Dogpound for the best full-body workout. Not going to lie, it was especially cool glancing across their gym and seeing some of their A-list clientele wearing SET almost every time I was there. It sounds so simple, but I also got really into walking 10,000 steps per day – I loved walking as a way to spend quality time with a friend, or I would just do solo walks to wind down and let creative ideas come to me.

Considering the ongoing pandemic, what have you been doing the past nine months to keep fit and healthy during this pregnancy?

My pregnancy fitness obsession has definitely been Forma Pilates in LA. The founder, Liana Levi, has not only helped get me into the best shape possible to handle pregnancy and prepare for birth, but her workouts have also really helped keep me sane as I’m trying to balance the stress of being a CEO and a first-time mom.

As a new mom, what are some things you are looking forward to with raising your child?

Everything. I’ve been looking forward to becoming a mom and growing my family for so long. I can’t wait to just spend time at home with my husband, our baby and our first fur baby, Leo. It’s so important to me that we raise our son to be strong and independent, but also kind and vulnerable and empathetic. Ultimately, the most important thing to me is just raising him in an environment where he can feel fully comfortable being his truest self.

What advice do you have for all aspiring entrepreneurs out there?

There will never be a time that feels "just right." It’s always going to feel a little (or a lot) scary, there will always be reasons that starting doesn’t make sense and you will always run into challenges. Your idea might not feel perfect at first but that’s ok. You really just have to make a plan and go for it, and you’ll figure the rest out on the way. Keep moving forward, even if it’s just the smallest steps because that will eventually add up to big progress. The hustle is hard and it isn’t glamorous but it is absolutely worth it.

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