Original Bodywear. Est. 1978

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Welcome to Carushka Bodywear Press & Media Archive: A 20-year visual timeline of the Architect of Bodywear and Fitness Fashion. From the definitive 1980s aerobics craze to the 1990s high-fashion minimalism that redefined the street-to-gym revolution and brought us Athleisure.

Carushka Press & Media Archive:

SHAPE Magazine covers featuring Carushka Bodywear throughout the 90s.

Famed Sports Illustrated swimsuit model, Kathy Ireland, on the Cover of Shape Magazine November issue 1996. Kathy Ireland is shown on the cover wearing Carushka Bodywear black betty sports bra and black tie waistband micro shorts.
1996 Nov. Shape Magazine: Covergirl Kathy Ireland wears Carushka Bodywear Betty Bra and Micro Shorts
August 1996 Shape Magazine cover exclaims Bikini Butt featuring a model wearing rare Carushka swimwear line: Yellow and orange plaid racer bra top and high waisted zip up front bikini bottom. The magazine also promotes 6 moves for your best behind; Olympic energy and Heat Wave diet. Carushka Bodywear is found inside the magazine shown on models and athletes providing step-by-step exercise moves.
1996 August Shape Magazine cover featuring Carushka Mad Plaid Bra and Zip Front Bottom.
Carushka Bodywear as seen on Gabrielle Reece on the cover of Shape Magazine, 1993. Gabby Reece is wearing a brown turtleneck Carushka Bodywear leotard
1993 Shape Magazine featuring Gabrielle Reece in Carushka Bodywear.
1992 April cover of Shape Magazine featuring Carushka Bodynet bike shorts with mesh side paneling and Carushka Bodywear Bodynet Crop Bra Top with mesha paneling. A model leans on a rock with the blue sky behind her. Carushka Bodywear had appeared on multiple Shape Magazine Covers in early 80s and 90s as well as multiple features inside of Magazine.
1992 April Shape Magazine featuring Carushka Bodynet
February 1991 cover of Shape magazine titled "Strength Is Beauty" featuring actress Chelsea Noble. She is pictured smiling in a high-waisted, vibrant Red ankle-to-capri length athletic legging by Carushka Bodywear, beautifully styled with a wide black leather belt and a white collared shirt tied at the waist.
1991 Feb. Shape Magazine cover featuring actress Chelsea Noble wearing Carushka red capri leggings.
July 1991 Shape Magazine cover featuring Carushka Bodywear Tartan Plaid Bra and shorts.
1991 July Shape Magazine cover featuring Carushka Bodywear Tartan Plaid Bra and Shorts.
Supermodel Kate Moss in 1997 Harper's Bazaar wearing Carushka Capri in Red. Kate Moss poses in a halter top, Carushka Carpi leggings and red heals in front of a monster truck that read "American Male." Carushka Bodywear was a female owned fitness apparel company, her garments graced the covers of magazines, TV and Film for decades. Discover the The Lost History Found of Carushka Bodywear.
June 1997, Harper’s Bazaar: Supermodel Kate Moss wears Carushka Red Capri leggings.
Gloria Steinem in an article wearing her own Carushka Bodywear New York Pants.
2001 Vogue: Gloria Steinem in “her own Carushka [Bodywear] pants…’
February 1999 cover of Muscle & Fitness magazine featuring pop-culture icon Carmen Electra. Titled "GIRL POWER," she is captured in a high-energy boxing pose wearing a yellow and black Carushka Bodywear crop tank top with the distinctive "CARUSHKA BODYWEAR" brand logo clearly stamped on the left side, celebrating late-90s athletic celebrity style.
1999 Muscle & Fitness w/ Carmen Electra in Carushka Bodywear Logo Tank
A 1998 Muscle & Fitness magazine interior editorial spread featuring pop-culture icon Carmen Electra training with Billy Blanks in his Ventura Boulevard Tae Bo boxing studio. A collage of action photography captures her throwing high kicks and punches while wearing the Carushka Bodywear Lady Jane Camisole Logo Top in red paired with matching black ankle-length leggings featuring a red athletic racing stripe and a drawstring waist.
Carmen Electra and Billy Blank training in Tae Boe. Carmen wears Carushka Bodywear Logo goup
Carmen Electra and Tae Bo creator Billy Blanks on the February 1999 cover of Muscle & Fitness magazine, both wearing Carushka Bodywear. Carmen wears the signature red Mary Jane Tank Top with the Carushka logo.
Carmen Electra and Billy Blank. Carmen wears Carushka Bodywear Logo Cami.
Actress Cybill Shepherd on the June 1998 cover of Living Fit magazine wearing Carushka Bodywear. A late-90s minimalist fitness aesthetic featuring a sleek black unitard or camisole set.
1998 June Living Fit: Cybill Shepherd once again wearing Carushka Bodywear.
Cybill Shepherd on the April 1984 Shape Magazine cover wearing a Carushka hand-silk-screened artwork leotard with teal leggings. Inspired by Carushka’s travels to Japan, this piece features original silk-screened art on high-performance bodywear.
1984 April Shape Magazine cover girl, Cybil Shepherd, wearing Carushka hand-silk-screened ‘Artwork Leotard.
The November/December 1996 cover of Health magazine featuring a model in a Carushka grey and white striped fleece zip-up hoodie. This late-90s look highlights the brand's transition into cozy, lifestyle-driven activewear and luxury fleece fabrics.
1996 Health Magazine: The Zip-Up Fleece Hoodie.
Dec. 1992 New Body Magazine cover featuring Carushka Bodywear Bright Bike Unitard with Insert in Fuchsia.
1992 Dec. New Body Magazine cover featuring Carushka Bodywear Bright Bike Unitard with Insert in Fuchsia.
March/April 1990 cover of American Fitness magazine featuring actress and fitness star Sandahl Bergman. She is pictured in a wide athletic stance wearing a Carushka Bodywear contoured tank thong leotard in vibrant Red, beautifully contrasted with white ankle-length web-patterned leggings. The cover text highlights features on "1990 Footwear Review" and "Metafitness," celebrating the intersection of high-fashion dance aesthetics and 90s fitness culture.
1990 March/April American Fitness: Carushka Bodywear contoured Thong Leotard and Iconic Webbed Leggings.
A model in a Shape Magazine February 1995 editorial wearing a Carushka black and white zebra-print mitered leotard. The image features the text 'If only getting fit were this easy,' showcasing the brand's bold aesthetic.
1995 Feb. Shape Magazine editorial featuring Carushka striped leotard and leggings.
A model in a Shape Magazine February 1995 editorial titled 'Slouchy Comfort,' featuring Carushka oversized drawstring pants. The image highlights the brand's shift toward relaxed, versatile loungewear.
Shape Magazine, Feb 1995: “Slouchy Comfort” in Carushka oversized drawstring pants.
Model wearing a heather gray Carushka Bodywear unitard and cropped short-sleeve top in oatmeal-heather, as featured in Shape Magazine, February 1995.
As seen in Shape Magazine, February 1995: The signature Carushka fit in heather gray.
A 1994 Shape Magazine feature showcasing Carushka’s signature Jodphur bike shorts and bodywear. This archival image highlights the brand's influence on 90s fitness trends.
1994 Shape Magazine: Jodphur shorts, featured in the July issue.
Carushka Bodywear featured in Shape magazine feature on knits and layering.
A 1993 fashion editorial feature showcasing Carushka Bodywear. The image features a side and back view of a model in a deep stretching pose, wearing the #101 Basic Racerback Thong Leotard in Heather Grey layered over matching Heather Grey ankle-length leggings. The overlay text reads, "Cutouts are most prominently on display in the back," highlighting the intricate, architectural back strap engineering and superior athletic cut of Carushka's proprietary luxury cotton/poly blend.
1994 Shape Magazine: Carushka Bodywear Cross Back Unitard
A model wearing a white Carushka ribbed cotton Lycra camisole and shorts in a rustic outdoor setting, as seen in Shape Magazine, July 1994. The image highlights the brand's versatility in lifestyle and fitness fashion.
Editorial feature of the Carushka ribbed cotton Lycra camisole in Shape Magazine, July 1994.
Winter 1994 fitness magazine editorial page from Ms. Fitness titled "Bodynet Group." The layout features a photograph of two fitness models posing against a stone wall showcasing pieces from the Carushka Bodywear "New Age Satin and Crochet" series: a taupe front-zip full-body wetsuit leotard on the left, and a black camisole bra top paired under a sheer black crochet tank leotard on the right.
Carushka “New Age Satin and Crochet” series featured in Ms. Fitness Magazine, Winter 1994.
Spring 1994 fitness magazine editorial page from Ms. Fitness titled "Fitness Fashions For Those On The Go!!!". The layout features a full-page photograph of a fitness model in a dynamic athletic pose wearing a Carushka Bodywear black mid-thigh short-length unitard with a bold white Carushka logo printed across the chest, accessorized with a matching black baseball cap featuring the Carushka script logo.
Carushka branded logo unitard and matching script logo hat featured in Ms. Fitness Magazine, Spring 1994.
Olympic gold medalist Sherri Howard wearing a Carushka sheer mitered stripe leotard. This high-fashion athletic shot showcases the bold, transparent design elements that defined Carushka’s elite bodywear.
1992 June Shape Magazine: Olympic Champion Sherri Howard in the daring Carushka sheer leotard.
A 1992 Shape Magazine feature of a model in a white Carushka cross-back leotard. The layout includes the text "8 exercises to sculpt your buns," highlighting Carushka’s dominance in 90s fitness fashion.
1992 June Shape Magazine: Carushka’s signature white cross-back leotard as featured in the June 1992 issue of Shape Magazine.
A 1994 Shape Magazine feature showcasing Carushka’s signature Jodphur bike shorts and bodywear. This archival image highlights the brand's influence on 90s fitness trends.
1994 July Shape Magazine: Featuring iconic Carushka Jodphur shorts.
Sept./October 1992 American Fitness article Eco-Excercise featuring a a young Charlize Theron wearing Carushka Bodywear.
1992 Sept./Oct. American Fitness article: Eco-Exercise, featuring Carushka Bodywear.
Sept./October 1992 American Fitness article Eco-Excercise featuring a a young Charlize Theron wearing Carushka Bodywear.
1992 Sept./Oct. American Fitness: Carushka Bodywear coordinated “Paris” Fleece Jacket, racerback bra top and leggings.
A 1994 editorial clipping from Shape Magazine featuring Carushka Bodywear. The model is captured in a seated, athletic stretch pose on an industrial concrete floor, wearing the #139 Ankle-Length Low-Back Camisole Unitard in heather grey. The page layout includes a vertical column of fashion editorial text on the left, highlighting the brand's sleek, functional design and superior athletic silhouette.
A "Top Picks" editorial page from Shape Magazine, January 1994, featuring Carushka bodywear in a curated list of high-quality fitness apparel.
Carushka featured in Shape Magazine’s ‘Top Picks’ editorial, January 1994.”
Fitness editorial from Shape Magazine, January 1994, featuring actress and model Amy Smart wearing Carushka bodywear.
Future Hollywood star Amy Smart modeling the Carushka collection in Shape Magazine, January 1994.
Sept./Oct. 1992 American Fitness Magazine. RYKA Women's Foundation featuring Carushka Bodywear Bodynet.
Sept./Oct. 1992 American Fitness Magazine. RYKA Women’s Foundation featuring Carushka Bodywear Bodynet.
Wendi Malick in Carushka Racerback Top and Boogie Tight Leggins.
Wendi Malick in Carushka Racerback Top and Boogie Tight Leggins.
Mariel Hemingway strikes a gorgeous yoga pose while wearing Carushka Lady Jane Camisole Top and slit capri tight leggings.
Mariel Hemingway strikes a gorgeous yoga pose while wearing Carushka Lady Jane Camisole Top and slit capri tight leggings.

Vintage 80s Bodywear Editorials: Defining the Decade of Aerobics & Art

The January 1983 cover of Fit Magazine featuring a model in a Carushka hand-silk-screened artwork tank top and coordinating high-waisted trunks. This ensemble highlights the artistic 'Artwork' series and the signature high-cut silhouette that defined 1980s fitness fashion.
The September 1984 3rd Anniversary issue of Shape Magazine featuring Heather Locklear. She is captured mid-air in a fitness pose wearing a Carushka Bodywear leotard in royal blue matisse with black trim, paired with matching blue leggings and black leg warmers.
1984 Sept. Shape Magazine: This historic cover marks the 3rd Anniversary Issue highlighting the “Aerobic Dance” craze of the 80s. The cover stars’ actress Heather Locklear (T.J. Hooker, Dynasty) showcasing Carushka Bodywear.
Cybill Shepherd on the April 1984 Shape Magazine cover wearing a Carushka hand-silk-screened artwork leotard with teal leggings. Inspired by Carushka’s travels to Japan, this piece features original silk-screened art on high-performance bodywear.
Cybill Shepherd wearing Cybill Shepherd in a hand-silk-screened ‘Artwork Leotard,’ inspired by Carushka’s journey through Japan.
Actress Connie Sellecca on the February 1983 cover of Shape Magazine wearing a Carushka hand-silk-screened heart artwork leotard.
The 1983 ‘Heart’ series: original silk-screened artwork on high-performance bodywear.
he 1982 cover of Teen Great Looks magazine featuring a model in a signature Carushka striped leotard. This early 80s image highlights the brand's immediate popularity with the youth market and the iconic boat-neck striped silhouette.
Teen Great Looks, 1982: The leotard that started the craze.
Lynda Carter posing for Shape Magazine’s 1st Anniversary issue (1982) wearing a signature Carushka Bodywear horizontal mitered-stripe leotard. The design features Carushka Jarecka's iconic architectural stripe alignment, defining the 1980s fitness aesthetic.
Wonder Woman Lynda Carter for Shape Magazine’s 1st Anniversary, 1982. Wearing the original Carushka mitered-stripe leotard.Screenshot
Front cover of the LA Times Magazine from January 23, 1983, featuring Carushka fitness wear. The image captures the early 80s Los Angeles athletic boom, highlighting Carushka Jarecka's influence on the city's fashion and workout culture.
Carushka on the cover of the LA Times Magazine, January 1983.
Screenshot
Early 80's book cover of "Jane Fonda's Workout Book for Pregnancy, Birth, and Recovery" by Femmy DeLyser, featuring four pregnant women in a studio setting. Two of the women showcase Carushka Bodywear's iconic engineered mitered stripe collection in a bold red and white colorway, including the #517 and #510 maternity-support athletic silhouettes. The imagery highlights the brand's superior stretch engineering, high-performance cotton/lycra fabric, and functional maternity design.
Jane Fonda on the "Start Up with Jane Fonda" VHS cover wearing a Carushka Bodywear boatneck leotard in pink and white stripes. This 25-minute light exercise routine features the professional-grade dancewear engineered by Carushka Jarecka.
Jane Fonda wearing the Carushka boatneck stripe leotard on the cover of “Start Up” a special limited edition of her Work Out video collection (1982).
1982 Jane Fonda’s Original Workout Video wearing Carushka’s iconic boatneck long sleeved stripped leotard.
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IN THE NEWS

Fitness Magazine March/April 1995 feature article on designer Carushka Jarecka, highlighting her 'Architect of Movement' philosophy and the 1990s evolution of high-performance bodywear and dancewear.
March/April 1995 Fitness Magazine article titled ‘Designing’ names Carushka the “Confidence Queen.”
A 1995 Fitness Magazine editorial page titled "Designing," featuring four prominent activewear designers, including Carushka Jarecka. The layout shows Carushka in a black ensemble alongside text discussing her "Architect of Movement" philosophy.
“These 4 women make the best workout wear going…” — Carushka Jarecka featured in Fitness Magazine (March/April 1995) as one of the pioneers of modern activewear along with Norma Kamali and Gilda Marx.

“I want women to look and feel sexy. Exercise is hard enough; you should at least like what you see in the mirror.” — Carushka

Press clipping from Ms. Fitness Magazine, November 1989, featuring a profile on designer Carushka Jarecka titled 'Focus on Carushka' by Greta Blackburn. "You've know her stuff..." maybe you don't know it's name or hers: Carushka. Text describes the history of Carushka Bodywear and the partnership with John Travolta for 'Staying Alive'. Her accolades as a designer including Hawaii's Royal Hibiscus Award, America's Top Ten Desingers in 1982, featured in Bllomingdales as the "original innovatory of Fashion Bodywear" and was named one of the ten Outstanding Young Working Women for 1987 by GLAMOUR Magazine.
“I’m not trying to convert the masses.”


“You know her stuff.  It’s the sexy, stretchy, clingy, soft stuff that always gets heads turning….

FOCUS On Carushka, written by Greta Blackburn. This article provides a summary of her career from “the striped cotton boatneck leotard” to designing the entire wardrobe for Saturday Night Fever’s sequel Staying Alive. Carushka explains her next goal is to build up her mail order business so she can “become closer to her customers.” With inspirational quotes, photos and testimonials of real world customers printed in the pages of her catalogs she predicted the role that social media would soon play. In 1995, Carushka was one of the first to launch e-commerce. Her desire to connect to her customers made her a trailblazer in branding and marketing still used to this day.

We have a lot to digitize…more articles and editorials coming soon, one scan at a time, from news and magazines you know and love:

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