L.A. commuters have more than passing familiarity with sweating out traffic when they’re running late for a meeting. But breaking a sweat by riding a bike to work in business attire? Unheard of.

Claire Ortiz and Heather Park, co-founders of downtown L.A. apparel company Ortiz Industry Inc., aim to make the transition between athletic and work attire, well, seamless.

Designing and manufacturing blazers, dress shirts and pants made from materials used in athletic clothing, the pair recently launched their first collection.

“We built it for people who travel, for people who are on the go, who are commuting,” said Park. “You could ride your bike to work in our suit and feel pretty comfortable and ride without sweat stains or any odor.”

Ortiz said even though the fabric might share the traits of athletic wear, its style is contemporary.

“We still get a lot of people saying, ‘Is it like Lululemon?’ And it couldn’t be further from that,” she said.

Though they met more than 10 years ago while working for Beaverton, Ore., sportswear giant Nike Inc., Ortiz and Park didn’t form their business until two years ago.

They now manufacture in Asia, producing midrange products that retail from $110 for a woman’s top to $450 for a men’s blazer.

Before starting the company, Ortiz was global business director of apparel and accessories for Wilson Sporting Goods in Chicago; Park was running her own design firm called Scenic Design Inc. in Los Angeles.

“We just decided that we were finally going to take the plunge,” said Ortiz.

– Subrina Hudson