{"id":633698,"date":"2017-04-20T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2017-04-19T22:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ie.edu\/insights\/latest-news\/articles\/sportswear-makes-inroads-in-the-fashion-business\/"},"modified":"2019-02-06T13:05:48","modified_gmt":"2019-02-06T12:05:48","slug":"sportswear-makes-inroads-in-the-fashion-business","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/www.ie.edu\/insights\/articles\/sportswear-makes-inroads-in-the-fashion-business\/","title":{"rendered":"Sportswear Makes Inroads in the Fashion Business"},"featured_media":636446,"template":"","meta":{"_has_post_settings":[]},"schools":[],"areas":[16,22,26],"subjects":[],"class_list":["post-633698","articles","type-articles","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","areas-competitiveness-growth","areas-sales-marketing","areas-technology"],"custom-fields":{"wpcf-article-leadin":["Sportswear is shoring up its position in the fashion world. Wearing a suit with casual shoes, leggings with heels, or yoga pants at work\u2014it\u2019s all the rage. Major brands are targeting a new type of consumer who values healthy living."],"wpcf-article-body":["The mixture of sports and fashion is more than a trend; it reflects a shift in society\u2019s values. Everywhere you look, people are more interested in things like health, recycling, and environmental protection. Sportswear brands have responded by combining their necessary and traditional innovations in technical features and design with a new way of understanding the sports aesthetic: athleisure<\/em>\u2014a cross between athletics and leisure.\r\n\r\nSportswear and sporting goods brands have started to adapt to this new reality. Now, in addition to research and product development, they are also emphasizing new customer preferences and needs. Brands are learning to differentiate between what their products\u2014especially technical ones\u2014are designed for and what people actually use them for. These companies must figure out who their customers are and focus not only on providing clothes and shoes for sports but also on the possibility\u2014and profitability\u2014of other uses. More and more products originally designed for competition are starting to show up on the red carpet at the Oscars.\r\n\r\nThis shift from sports accessory to fashion item originated with American women who attend yoga classes. The trend is for men\u2019s and women\u2019s attire to become more similar, so what seems crazy now might turn out not to be. Jeans will soon be replaced by leggings\u2014in every color, to match any outfit. Layering is essential, so everything must be interchangeable and matchable.\r\n\r\nThe good news is that more and more people are taking an interest in healthy living and well-being, and sports brands have responded by segmenting their sales. What\u2019s more, it\u2019s definitely a good thing that mixing sports and fashion is seen as acceptable. However, manufacturers run the risk of failing to manage the situation and getting dragged along, losing sight of their long-term business, their roots, and the DNA of the brand, not to mention their connection with the consumer, the one who ultimately sets the trend.\r\n\r\nThe United States is the world\u2019s biggest market for sportswear; in Europe, Germany leads the pack, followed by France, Spain, Italy, and the United Kingdom. When it comes to athleisure, Europe\u2019s top countries are France and Italy. Another major force is Japan, a country frequently visited by design teams from major brands.\r\n
Sportswear brands are combining their necessary and traditional innovations in technical features and design with a new way of understanding the sports aesthetic.<\/blockquote>\r\nNew values<\/strong>\r\n\r\nSports have become a part of society. Sportswear companies need to realize this so that they can align their business with these new values. Another important factor is that distances are getting shorter. Athleisure isn\u2019t just for women: expect to see the mixture of sports and fashion on more and more men in positions of responsibility. And people of advanced age also wear sneakers. This is an unstoppable reality that affects all businesses.\r\n\r\nSportswear brands also need to keep an eye on millennials, who in five years will account for nearly 50% of the workforce. The next big thing is green juice, a healthy lifestyle, and a clean-cut look. This aesthetic is closely associated with the values of our new society, so perhaps it\u2019s not a trend but a real change.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nTrends<\/strong>\r\n\r\nModels like Elle Macpherson\u2014who has never run a marathon\u2014walk around with all the gear: high-performance sport shoes, leggings or stretch pants, several layers of clothing, sunglasses, and a handbag. That\u2019s the current trend, and it won\u2019t be long before this look reaches the cities and suburbs of Spain. But it won\u2019t be a free-for-all: brands will have to work to create attractive looks for each season. For now, this trend\u2014which hasn\u2019t yet reached retail outlets\u2014is served by specialized personal shoppers only in the United States. The final consumers are the ones who ultimately decide whether a look is good. The formula is to combine luxury sportswear with expensive technical items from good brands, to give an impression of fitness without setting foot in a gym.\r\n\r\nSports brands must face the challenge of maintaining their position. It is very important to know who is wearing a particular item, as this factor can bring down a brand. It is a major challenge for a prestigious brand to maintain its identity, because the goal is to keep doing business for many years. The second key factor is technology. Sportswear must be innovative and the materials must evolve, because design is no longer just a question of color.\r\n
Sports have become a part of society. Sportswear companies need to realize this so that they can align their business with these new values.<\/blockquote>\r\nLimited edition <\/strong>\r\n\r\nSportswear brands like to create limited editions targeting sneakerheads\u2014people obsessed with collecting exclusive models of athletic shoes, especially those designed for basketball or skateboarding. This trend, which started in the United States in the 1980s and has since spread across the globe, has been successfully exploited by the sportswear industry through the launch of collections designed to feed demand. Limited production drives up prices. The top brands have even opened stores specialized in limited-edition products.\r\n\r\nLimited editions are important because they symbolize status and exclusivity, and the sportswear industry must learn to manage this rising phenomenon. This is, in fact, a resale business: in some cases, especially with basketball brands, limited-edition sneakers can be resold for \u20ac1,000. On a business level, these shoes have made an impact, since they are all over social media and preferred by singers, artists, and models.\r\n\r\nSporting goods brands must be careful with their segmentation, separating each group of customers in order to offer the right items to meet the demand. Nowadays, it is crucial to know what is offered at each point of sale by using a model in which each establishment sells products associated with its consumer profile.\r\n\r\nHere\u2019s a question: What business are sportswear brands in? Brands must be very careful to ensure the sustainability of their business. The athleisure trend is huge and prices are very high, but is it really sustainable? Is it being managed well? What\u2019s clear is that brands must be very attentive to demand, but without losing their roots. Customers are looking for authenticity, and historic brands have stories to tell.\r\n\r\nAs for the product\u2014that is, materials and technology\u2014brands should let the athleisure trend continue, while paying close attention to segmentation. At ASICS, we will continue to make the best shoes we can, while also segmenting the market, recognizing new trends and consumers, and adjusting our products accordingly. It is possible to sell sports and fashion at the same time without losing credibility. The customers will decide whether they want purely technical sportswear or garments that can be mixed and matched for a trendy look.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n\u00a9 IE Insights.\r\n\r\n "],"wpcf-article-extract-enable":["1"],"wpcf-article-extract":["By Xavier Escales<\/strong>. Sportswear is shoring up its position in the fashion world. Wearing a suit with casual shoes, leggings..."],"wpcf-article-summary-enable":["1"],"wpcf-article-summary":["Sportswear is shoring up its position in the fashion world. This trend reflects a shift in society\u2019s values: people are becoming more interested in things like health and environmental protection, so the combination of athletics and leisure\u2014athleisure\u2014feels natural. People of all ages wear sport shoes, models like Elle Macpherson flaunt high-end sportswear, and limited-edition sneakers have become coveted status symbols. Sporting-goods brands have responded by innovating and segmenting the market to cover the demands of new consumers. This innovation must not be exclusively aesthetic; the materials used in sportswear must also evolve. The challenge is to remain authentic and maintain credibility with traditional customers."]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ie.edu\/insights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/articles\/633698","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ie.edu\/insights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/articles"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ie.edu\/insights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/articles"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ie.edu\/insights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/636446"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ie.edu\/insights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=633698"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"schools","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ie.edu\/insights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/schools?post=633698"},{"taxonomy":"areas","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ie.edu\/insights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/areas?post=633698"},{"taxonomy":"subjects","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ie.edu\/insights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/subjects?post=633698"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}