Fashion designer Michelle Smith and SoulCycle instructor Stacy Griffith are debuting with their active clothing line Love & Sports at Walmart. The line is designed to be fashionable, with vibrant colors and unique fabrics.
Walmart
In the last two years, fashion designer Michelle Smith and SoulCycle instructor Stacy Griffith have touched dozens of fabrics, spat out brand names and tried on samples of sports bras and leggings when lying at home or sweating during workouts.
Now the New York-based couple is unveiling their secret project: Love & Sports, an enhanced active clothing and swimming brand they are debuting with Walmart. The new brand went on the website of the big retailer on Friday and is distributed in 1,500 stores.
“I think some of our friends really thought we were going to have a baby because we couldn’t talk about something and they said, ‘We can’t go. We have something to work on, “Griffith said.
“I guess we’re going to have a baby,” Smith said with a laugh.
Smith co-founded the high-end clothing brand Milly and designed the dress worn by Michelle Obama in her Smithsonian portrait. Now it has a newer, eponymous line of elegant items, from silk camisoles to alpaca coats, which can cost up to $ 2,750 apiece.
Meanwhile, Griffith won fans as an indoor cycling teacher and went on a motivational tour with Oprah Winfrey. The designer and fitness instructor met – and later began dating – thanks to the SoulCycle class.
The fashion collection is another sign of the retailer’s efforts to shake up its reputation and become known as a place where shoppers can find stylish clothes along with milk, bananas and TVs.
Walmart has launched an increasing number of exclusive and high-profile fashion names, including Sofia Jeans, a denim brand developed with actress Sofia Vergara; Eloquii Elements, a large women’s brand inspired by the acquired Eloquii brand; Scoop, a fashion brand for women’s clothing; and Free Assembly, a line of casual wear for men, women and children.
He also used the stellar power of other fashion names, most notably to hire Brandon Maxwell – who dressed famous women, including Lady Gaga – as creative director of Scoop and Free Assembly.
Love & Sports will be sold on the Walmart website and in 1,500 stores. His first collection includes 121 pieces, ranging in price from $ 12 to $ 42.
Walmart
Walmart, which still receives most of its annual revenue from the grocery business, does not deduct sales of clothing from other common goods, such as home decor and electronics.
Denise Incandela, executive vice president of apparel and private label for Walmart US, said the retailer was attracted by Love & Sports’ unique design and bold colors. She said merging with Smith and Griffith creates an opportunity to stand out in a category where high quality usually comes at a high price.
The idea for the new brand was born when Smith approached Incandela via a direct Instagram message in the first months of the pandemic. Incandela, a graduate of Saks Fifth Avenue, knew Smith because the luxury chain wore her Milly clothing line.
Smith later shared some initial sketches, which she worked on for several months. “It’s such a natural sequel to Stacey and me that it’s almost designed,” she said. Just pour it on paper.
Smith, who has trained at high-end fashion houses such as Hermes and Louis Vuitton, said she and Griffith strive to make clothes that fit both budget and body.
The first collection of the brand includes 121 pieces, whose prices range from $ 12 to $ 42. Includes retro running shorts, cropped sweatshirts and seamless bras. It ranges in size from XS to XXXL for active wear and up to XXL for swimwear.
The items have details that combine street fashion and fitness, such as many cell phone pockets, invisible zippers on the inside to secure credit cards and waist straps that can be worn with a high waist (Smith’s preferred style) or to be worn. shrink for a low waist look (Griffith’s preference).
Love & Sports will add shoes and accessories, including sneakers and bags, in the fall.
Love & Sports debuted with swimsuits. In the fall, the line will include shoes and accessories.
Walmart
Active clothing became a hotter but more crowded field during the pandemic. Sales in the men’s and women’s clothing category rose from $ 52.3 billion in 2019 to $ 70.8 billion in 2021, an increase of 35% over the two-year period, according to The NPD Group. The market research group includes all clothing items with active functions, such as dehumidifying fabric.
Kristen Klassi-Zumo, an industry analyst who covers fashion clothing for The NPD Group, said some observers bet that with the withdrawal of the pandemic, people will go out into the world again dressed and eager to wear formal attire like in the jealous 20s.
Instead, she said, people have largely looked for comfortable and flexible parts that fit into a hybrid lifestyle, such as pants that are stretchy enough to allow a quick walk around the block between virtual meetings or a longer sports bra that can be combined with training. leggings, as well as jeans and heels.
However, as the category flourishes, the number of brands vying for market share also increases. The number of active clothing brands has risen from 1,600 in 2014 to 2,400 in 2021, according to the NPD. This field includes players from Lululemon and Nike to private labels launched by such as Target, Kohl’s and Dick’s Sporting Goods.
Classi-Zummo expects active clothing to remain popular this year and beyond, but to have a slower growth rate than double-digit in 2021 – and that, she said, will increase competition for consumers.
“We still expect it to grow, but what can a brand do in a market that sees less growth and much more competition?” She said. “She has been buying active clothes for years. No need for another pair of black wedges. What special features, what new cut, new fabric can you offer to keep her or him interested in the category? ”
Griffith said Love & Sports was inspired in part by the pandemic shift to an “era of delicious fabrics.”
She said she had already secretly worn the brand in SoulCycle classes, but hid sports bras under her top and worn pairs of shorts without a logo. Now, however, she is looking forward to her big revelation.
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