SPORTSWEAR IS THE NEW GOLD

PULLED FROM THE BEYONDTHERUNWAYS.COM ARCHIVES JAN 2015:

I’m willing to bet that in the last year, you’ve paid a much greater deal of attention to your activewear purchases than you have before. Increasingly, buying a pair of tennis shoes is no longer a matter of pure utility; it’s a fashion statement.

In the last few years, sportswear has begun to take its hold on the world of fashion. Interestingly enough, adult-contemporary clothing became a medium for the fusion of casual activewear materials with patterns, prints, and shapes that appeal to just about every type of style. The occasional collaboration between a major designer and a retailer didn’t hurt, either. All of a sudden, upscale brands became much more accessible and relatable to the public without drawing away from their luxurious and exclusive images. Even lingerie brands like Agent Provocateur and La Perla have ventured into the sportswear arena. Not only has sportswear proven to be stylish, it is also worth gold. The sports apparel industry is projected to be worth $179 billion dollars by 2019. Alexander Wang’s collaboration with H&M, for example, couldn’t have been a timelier move for either business. Wang is at the height of his career, and H&M is arguably the most “current” casual retailer in the world, with more than 400 new stores opening up around the world in the last year. Upon release of the highly anticipated sportswear collection in early November, stores quickly sold out of inventory and scrambled for replenishments to meet demand. For the rest of us who tried to purchase online, hardly a handful of styles were left after a few hours on the first day. While H&M declined to release sales specifically by market for this collaboration, the retailer did report a 10% sales gain in last month.

The growth of sportswear, in my opinion, can be greatly attributed to the rise in awareness of pursing a healthy lifestyle. Previously, stylish active clothing has been mostly attributed to luxurious ski vacations in the French Alps or equestrian competitions sponsored by Hermès. Hardly anyone cared what their running shorts looked like or whether or not swimsuits were considered high fashion. To be quite honest, men started the sportswear movement without even realizing it. Remember the original Air Jordans? Upon its release in the 1980s, it was quite arguably, a major breakthrough in bridging the gap between the largely under-saturated male market and the retail industry. Meanwhile, Jane Fonda was leading the aerobics craze, popularizing items such as leggings and leotards. Years later, Lululemon became the first store of its kind to sell yoga related apparel to a niche market. However, it was not long after that everyone discovered the goldmine waiting in the sportswear world. Gap opened Athleta, Nike started marketing more towards women, and Adidas collaborated with high fashion labels such as Stella McCartney. These companies paved the way for a whole new genre of apparel: casual activewear. Small brands like Lacoste and Hunter have grown significantly as a result of this new lifestyle change. Most recently, Hunter introduced Hunter Original in early 2014, carving their mark in outdoor sportswear, a category that would have never been taken seriously in the fashion world in the past.

Unlike the 80s and early 00s sportswear fads filled with legwarmers and Juicy Couture velour tracksuits, the current trend indicates a lifestyle change. The focus has shifted from one aspect of life to an overarching sense of happiness: people want to become their “best selves”, and part of that means improving their health. What’s to say they can’t look great while working towards that goal? Today, Nike is the largest sportswear manufacturer in the world, followed by Adidas. Interestingly enough, both companies have managed to drastically differentiate themselves in a growing market. Over the years, Nike has invested heavily into adopting technology for its apparel and accessories, even becoming one of the first to bundle health gadgets like Nike FuelBand. On the other hand, Adidas sought after fashion recognition. Its biggest success so far has, indeed, been the collaboration with McCartney, but it has also strategically partnered with Rita Ora, Pharrell Williams, and Mary Katrantzou, all of whom are young, hip, and powerful individuals with tremendous influence over the Millennial Generation.

So whether or not you’ll be at the gym, fulfilling your new year’s resolution of that perfect beach-ready body, admit it, your stylish gym gear might start to influence your everyday style. As for contemporary brands wanting to hit the sweet spot between luxury and sales, instead of branching into the beauty industry, consider introducing sports apparel is the next move. For now, it’s a gold mine waiting to be explored further.