London – Yoga, once a physical and spiritual exercise discipline, is now a major
source of fashion inspiration for numerous yoga, athleisure and fitness
wear brands.
Sportswear is the fastest growing sector in women’s ready-to-wear, and in
the UK is expected to surpass 8 billion dollars by 2019, according to
research company Key Note. In the UK, the sportswear market grew in value
by 5.4 percent in 2012, with sports clothing accounting for approximately
71 percent of total market value and sports footwear making up the
remaining 29 percent.
The latest addition to the athleisure market is Parisian label ba&sh, who
have joined forces with yoga specialist Ana Heart for a capsule collection.
The clothes, of course, are to be worn at your local yoga class, but are
also suitable for everyday casual wear.
Ana Heart is just one of the latest brands marketing itself as the go-to
sports-wear label for yoga enthusiasts, a trendy exercise favored by the
fashion pack.
What companies like Ana Heart are tapping into, is that with raised
awareness for the importance of implementing physical fitness into our
everyday lives, participation in these activities will lead to a greater
demand for functional sportswear, and increased popularity of
performance-enhancing goods. Hence also a rise in demand for smart watches
and tech wear.
Net-a-Porter was quick to embrace the sportswear trend, launching an entire
new category for its luxury e-commerce site: Net-a-Sporter. Offering
athletic wear across 11 sporting disciplines including equestrian, tennis,
golf, yoga, cross fit, swim and surf, sail and ski, the category offers
plenty of stylish options. “Women want high-performing, stylish pieces that
can be worn all day long,” stated Alison Loenis, president of Net-a-Porter.
“They’re looking for product to take them from a Pilates class to lunch
with a friend, adapting their workout wear into more of a day look.”