Designed for a life well lived

Dear Rocca club members,

My name is Claudia Seidenstricker and I’m the founder of the Rocca Club. 

I’ve always been very passionate about story telling and writing, so much I’ve secretly tried writing a book several times – a dramatic, heart-breaking romance, nonetheless. These attempts never lasted longer than a couple of hours, as I quickly understood I would never stick to anything unless I would be obsessed with it.

I’m unapologetically obsessed with Rocca and what it represents. Since the launch of the brand in 2021, I’ve had this urge to share all things Rocca: the lifestyle, my favorite sports, wellness, travelling – everything that has inspired and contributed for the creation of Rocca.

However, time and a bit of imposter syndrome have prevented me to do so, until now. As the brand grows, I have been naturally pushed out of my shell and slowly gaining trust to show up, stand up and speak up about the brand, the vision and values. I’m naturally a hands-on, behind the scenes silent operator kind of girl, but I’m also the heart and soul of this beautiful project.

The goal of this journal is to share what feeds my soul, hence, feeds the world of Rocca and how a “life well lived” looks through the lenses of it. This means exploring different sports, studios, wellness practices, travels, beaches, speaking to experts, among many other topics that feel aligned with the club.

I would like to kick off this new project by sharing some of the key aspects about Rocca:

#1 I started the brand for myself – I was always searching for a high quality athleisure brand that would not compromise on any of the following elements, and could not find anything that matched my needs:

• High quality pieces with unmatched comfort, designed to be worn over and over again, every single day, using sustainable fabrics to fight fast fashion and high consumption. I want your pieces to LAST.

• Timeless, elegant designs so every single one of my customers feels beautiful and put together no matter the situation – whether it’s killing it at the gym, playing tennis on the weekend, on your travels or going for coffee dates.

• The third element is confidence – as a woman who has struggled since my teens with body image and weight shifts, I’ve always found it hard, not to say impossible, to look beautiful in anything besides black sportswear as everything else in the market has been developed for unrealistic perfect bodies – yes, you can fit in it, but you don’t necessarily look or feel good. I design with the intention of flattering and celebrate the female figure, as I know what makes a woman look good, how and where the fabric should hold your body. My ultimate goal is to make you feel your best version of self, as I do when I wear Rocca.

#2 The brand is highly inspired by the world of tennis because I’ve been playing, along my family and friends since the age of 6. It’s not about a trend, it’s my world, my heritage and my greatest passion. I’ve also recently fallen in love with Pilates and have made it part of my daily routine – which you will see more off in our socials as I'm currently training to become a Pilates instructor (surprise!).

#3 The brand has a strong Italian influenced aesthetic (starting by the name Rocca) because I was very fortunate to spend many summers in Italy and it always felt like my second home. I have very found childhood memories and go back whenever I can.

#4 As a true Portuguese, I LOVE the beach, the sun, the ocean and thrive in the summer. I grew up in Vilamoura, a beautiful small town in the south of Portugal by the sea, so when I’m not in leggings and a sweatshirt, I’m wearing a bikini. The swimwear line was a natural extension of what I am working towards – to create a lifestyle brand. There are many other areas that I’m very passionate about and I hope to incorporate them as products/experiences as the brand grows.

#5 Rocca is a sustainable brand to it’s core. All the fabrics we use are sustainable, sourced from the top suppliers in Italy and Portugal, and produce in small batches according to demand, always trying to reach zero waste. We’ve been able to do so with the swimwear collection (hi scrunchies!!), and we are at 2% waste with the athleisure collection. All production is done in Lisbon, Portugal, by the most incredible team of women.

I hope you enjoyed this first post! Rocca is the most authentic expression of what I believe in: to create lasting pieces that hold beautiful memories of a life well lived, and that I hope they will be passed on through generations. If this resonates with you, welcome to the Rocca Club!

Claudia x