Sports

Implications - As brands look to enhance the overall in-store experience in a time when traditional retail is threatened by e-commerce and the concierge economy, many are overhauling store designs to be centered around branded fitness events. This shift speaks to the ways in which smart brands are raising the bar in terms of in-store experience that goes above and beyond increasingly high customer expectations. [More]

Implications - As unique amenities continue to be an important way for hotels to differentiate themselves from competitors like Airbnb, boutique and chain hotels alike are designing stays around innovative health and wellness programs. In addition to highlighting the ubiquitous nature of the wellness movement, this shift speaks to the need to established brands to add value with unique and unexpected new offerings. [More]

Implications - As fitness culture has now permeated arguably all facets of consumer culture, brands are emerging with unique and at times unexpected workshops that celebrate the intersection of the wellness lifestyle and seemingly unrelated interests, proving a singular prescriptive health regimen is unrealistic. This shift is key in demonstrating the opportunity for brands to cultivate passionate customer tribes around hyper-niche experiences that validate the unique collection of interests of individual consumers. [More]

Implications - Fashion-forward urban consumers are playing up their outdoors skills by opting for utilitarian clothing and accessories suitable to both the wear and tear of city and rural life. In addition to highlighting the desire to showcase one's closeness to nature as a status symbol, this shift demonstrates the influence of the survivalist mentality on urban living and the interest in challenging the stereotype of city dwellers as being overly reliant on convenience-driven technology. [More]

Implications - With designers of athleisure apparel borrowing visual cues from the world of tennis, consumers are embracing such pieces as a way to build on their personal brand in an age where competitive athleticism is best communicated through workout-ready attire. Falling in line with 2016's most popular sneaker, the tennis-inspired Stan Smith, in many cases this progression allows one to observe the ability of the fashion world, and in particular streetwear brands, to challenge traditional markers of wealth and social class by subverting the silhouettes we associate with them. [More]

Implications - Collaborative capsule collections by high-performance outerwear designers and brands associated with street fashion provide a unique opportunity to entice consumers through exclusivity. In addition to highlighting the power of such collaborations in allowing brands to cross-pollinate their communities of fans, this shift showcases the underlying relationship of sport and street fashion and the need for established brands to form unexpected partnerships in order to align with these values. [More]

Implications - As fashion forward consumers look to evolve past a now ubiquitous athleisure aesthetic, both streetwear and designer brands are channeling retro soccer looks with pieces that contain additional references to worlds beyond that of sports, such as art and fashion. This progression highlights the continued convergence of traditional fashion brands and streetwear movements, whether through collaboration or by means of borrowing inspiration. [More]

Implications - Far from going out of style, athleisure is increasingly permeating adjacent categories, going beyond activewear and into the beauty and skincare realm. As cosmetic brands adapt to the new demand for fitness-focused products, we’re starting to note launches of gym-specific makeup collections and lines of skincare and haircare tailored for active lifestyles. This shift demonstrates a new niche in the world of beauty as athleisure trends continue to evolve. [More]

Implications - A symptom of the cultural obsession with fitness, luxury fashion and streetwear brands generally limited to presenting apparel and accessories collections are launching limited edition takes on traditional sports equipment. In addition to reflecting the priorities of the modern consumer and the insistence to communicate this through one's possessions, this progression also highlights the symbolic curation of such objects as a means of coping with the fleeting nature of the digital world. [More]

Implications - Consumers have banded together to demand more from the athletic brands that they buy from, resulting in a more culturally inclusive range of apparel. More specifically, many have incorporated hijabs into their offerings. In addition, others have been careful to make more modest pieces available for women. This illustrates that many brands are making socially progressive changes in order to involve more consumers, while simultaneously driving a positive message and prompting other brands to do the same. [More]