She had us at hello!

Meet Toni, the newest member of our yoga design team! We're thrilled to welcome her expertise, glowing smile, and quick wit to the lululemon family. When Toni isn't whipping out gorgeous yoga designs, she can be found rock climbing, mountain biking, running, swimming, or dancing... if she hasn't already taken off on a globe-trotting expedition! Get to know more about Toni through our fresh faces interview...

tell us something surprising about yourself:

I was a professional dancer for about fifteen years: seven years of ballet class, five years of hip hop and street dance, plus a couple of years of teaching street dance and jazz to kids. Yes, I know - it's hard to imagine me in a tutu onstage dancing and jumping around. But at least it was always a black or white tutu, not pink!

what's your favourite way to sweat?

Mysore-style Ashtanga Vinyasa yoga at least three times a week. And on the weekends, my partner and I love to explore Canada's wilderness in our 4x4 camper van. Camping and hiking are a must!

tell us about your biggest, hairiest, most audacious goal:

My goal is to take our van on a road trip through South America, Japan and India. I'm looking forward to connecting with the locals and enjoying the incredible scenery. I'd also love to keep a blog of my journey, so I can share my impressions and inspire my friends at home.

what attracted you to lululemon?

The overall concept of the company. The sense of community is breathtaking and incredibly inspiring. Also, the products are truly functional since they're made with (and for) athletes. Due to my active life I have always loved designing clothing and accessories which bond function and style.

what excites you most about your new role?

Getting involved with the lululemon culture and community. After designing with great people at Adidas (sport-specific), Adidas by Stella McCartney, Aritzia, Maier-Sports and others, I'm eager to share my experience and knowledge with my new team. I hope to bring a touch of fresh style and originality to lululemon's yoga designs!

Could you be the next fresh face at lululemon? Our design team is still growing, so if you're interested in becoming a designer for Apres, Accessories, Mens or Run, check out our careers website and apply! http://www.lululemon.com/about/careers

Never thought about being a rock climber? Try it! Do one thing a day that scares you!

Here are the basics:

• Find a local rock climbing gym. Every rock climbing gym I've ever been to has an introductory class that will teach you the basics and how to stay safe. REI also has beginner outdoors trips to local crags such as Joshua Tree in CA, Patagonia in South America, Rumney Rocks in New Hampshire, and Crescent Rocks in Virginia.
• Grab a friend or a group of friends to go to the gym with. It's best to have even numbers of people so that no one has to sit around and watch while everyone else is climbing or belaying.
• A comfy harness. This is what will connect you to the rope (i.e. your lifeline), so make sure it's a good one. I say comfy because if you are a newbie, chances are you are going to fall and be hanging by said rope quite a bit, so you want something that isn't going to dig into your legs. In the beginning, you can rent a harness from the gym, but don't count on it being comfortable.
• A chalk bag and chalk. Chalk is ESSENTIAL. It dries out the sweat on your hands and helps you grip the holds better. You need the chalk bag to (obviously) hold the chalk.
• Climbing shoes. Do not go out and buy the most expensive shoe you can find. As a beginner, you do not need the $155 high-performance shoe. You can rent a pair of shoes from the climbing gym, but you can usually find a good deal at an outdoors store like REI, EMS, or MEC (if you’re in Canada!). Climbing shoes should be slightly tight since they usually stretch out a bit, but not so tight you can’t walk in them. As you get more experienced at climbing, you learn that tighter = better, but for now, stick with what feels good on your feet.

Not a necessity, but a really good idea is to get a pair of crops for climbing. Women head to the climbing gym in shorts and usually regret that choice once the harness starts to ride up in an uncomfortable place. I like to work out in crops, but pants would be the next best thing.

I wore my Groove Crops for the first time last weekend when we went climbing at Red Rock State Park near Las Vegas, Nevada, and they were amazing. I always wanted to wear them since they’re so great for everything else, but I was afraid to because they’re black. Sure enough, I got chalk all over them, but I was pleasantly surprised to be able to completely dust them off before going to dinner.

Above: Your must haves for a great climb, including our Groove Crops!