Have we hit the peak of the athleisure trend? The question has been posed repeatedly in publications like Bloomberg and W Magazine, which have noted sluggish sales growth for the category and falling stock prices for industry stalwart Lululemon.
But recent pop culture tells a different story. In Kanye West’s latest music video for the track “
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Fitness in music videos is nothing new; in fact, the director of “Fade” cited Flashdance as one of the video’s key inspirations. But West’s video is the latest in a recent wave of more-realistic depictions of women’s fitness, in pop culture and in campaigns like “
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Fitness continues to make inroads into fashion, as well. At New York Fashion Week, several designers debuted high-end activewear collections. Alexander Wang announced a new line in collaboration with Adidas, while Prabal Gurung will sell its new activewear through luxury fitness retailer Bandier. Meanwhile, fitness brand Under Armour made its Fashion Week debut with a line created by renowned designer Tim Coppens, who was recently named creative director for the brand.
As the Innovation Group noted in June, high-end athleisure lines are a way for designers to differentiate themselves in an increasingly saturated market. But as the evidence from pop culture shows, fitness is only becoming more central to lifestyle across consumer verticals. Today, women can use sweat-proof makeup, attend yoga festivals or immersive fitness festivals sponsored by Nike.
Will we ever reach peak athleisure? For now, at least, it looks as though major cultural tastemakers will continue to draw inspiration from fitness, casting it as aspirational at both the high-end and the mainstream.
