Carbon38

Trendy performance apparel designed by and for powerhouse women.

About Carbon38

The brand serves not only as a top-quality creator and custom label, but also as a curator of smaller, boutique brands and collaborator with high-end fashion designers. Experts in providing premium fit, fabric, and function, Carbon38 has become a trinity of effortlessly cool, performance-enhancing clothing and accessories for women around the world.

Why We Love Them

Ladies, meet the perfect balance of style and power. Carbon38 offers a phenomenal assortment of statement-making, performance-focused fashion — designed to ensure comfort, dynamic style, and lasting wearability, wherever you go. From sporty leggings and long-line bras to cozy joggers and chic bomber jackets, Carbon38 ensures that the fashion needs of today’s modern woman are always met — both within and beyond the gym.

Origin Story

Carbon38 Founder Katie Warner Johnson chose movement over money (literally) after graduating Harvard and declining a high-level position in finance in favor of a career in ballet. After numerous sport-induced injuries, Johnson hung up her pointe shoes and found success as a personal trainer — eventually becoming one of the top celebrity trainers in LA. As she transitioned from one fitness industry to the next, her knowledge of functional performance wear grew. Driven to provide performance-enhancing activewear for women throughout and beyond her community, Johnson developed a passion for functional fashion. This concept sparked the business idea, and ultimately Carbon38 was born. Originally launching with five brands, Carbon38 served as a curated platform for women to find practical, long-lasting activewear. The brand now offers styles from over 80 brands and has developed their own Carbon38 line with styles that take you from the gym, to office, to your couch, and everywhere in between. Johnson’s tenacity and passion for all things movement fuels the core of Carbon38, as she serves not just as founder but leads their marketing, merchandising, technology, product, and analytics teams.

The TL;DR

  • Founded and run by women
  • Curated assortment of smaller boutique brands to support new talent and growing businesses
  • Beautifully designed pieces made from quality, functional fabrics
  • Co-branded product collaborations with leading fashion designers
  • Consistently features and spotlights women in the fashion and fitness industries

The Science & The Soul

The Science

The beauty of Carbon38 lies in their curated, collaborative site model. With over 80 unique brands to choose from, you’ll be hard-pressed not to find pieces you love. Choose from styles that are moisture-wicking, extra-flexible, stain-resistant or naturally de-odorizing — the list of custom fabrics ensures there’s always something for everyone, and the style variety promises that whatever you purchase, it’ll be effortlessly cool.

Guided by fit, fabric, and function, Carbon38 emphasizes the best of these traits in every piece of clothing they sell, whether they are the creators or the curators.

The Soul

Carbon38 embodies the concept of modern, femme-focused fashion designed to enhance, support, and embolden. While only 14% of fashion brands world-wide are led by women, Carbon38’s curated brands are 70% women led.

Founder Katie Warner Johnson feels passionately about supporting small-but-quality fashion labels, and helping emerging businesses find their foothold in a tough industry. To this end, Carbon38 not only curates top-quality fashion brands, but introduces women to the stylish new looks, powerful pieces, and performance-enhancing activewear solutions they’ll love.