Sweatpants, leggings and sports bras. Their moment is now. And the fashion world is calling it: Athleisure. Finally, those Nike’s that have a racked up some serious treadmill miles (or have just been laid up on the coffee table) get their moment on the runway.
Two more designers decided to throw their caps in the athleisure ring. Longtime casual wear brand, Lands’ End, and Swedish soccer star (now designer), Zlatan Ibrahimovic, have announced their collections inspired by an active lifestyle.
Debuting this past Wednesday, Lands’ End Sport shows an activewear line perfect for any ocean sport fanatic. Federica Marchionni, CEO of the brand, got the ball rolling for this latest collection’s look, which features a line of wetsuits and rash guards for any seasoned surfer.
The performance line for women showcases half-zip and full-zip jackets, sports bras and tank tops alike, all in either a sharp black or colorful tie-dye design. Breathable short-sleeve shirts and matching running shorts comprise the menswear performance collection. The brand’s line of footwear offers buyers an array of slip-on water shoes, tennis shoes and rugged hiking boots.
Prices for the collection begin around $35 for tops and $49 for bottoms. Lands’ End Sport’s line of wetsuit is the part of the collection you really can’t afford to miss. From full body wetsuits to long sleeve rash guards, the waterproof wear ranges from $49 to $189. A clean brand logo across the chest and a nautical color block design really sets the athleisure line on trend.
“Ath-leisure is a big trend and the fastest-growing market in the industry, but it’s at our core and a very authentic extension for this company,” said Marchionni to WWD.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Paris Saint-Germain striker and captain of the Swedish nation team, extends quite authentically into fashion’s athleisure line up. On Tuesday, the famed footballer announced his partnership with Varner to produce a training wear line. Its debut was reportedly the same night at a secret location in the fashion capital of the world. Yes, the city of lights!
Ibrahimovic is keeping the details of the collection out of the limelight for now, but he did have a chance to open up to Vogue.com on the inspiration for the line called A-Z.
“To become something you want to be depends on your head, about how much you are willing to sweat and sacrifice. You start at A, and your Z can be anything you decide it to be. All we do is help you on the way,” Ibrahimovic opened up.
As we anxiously await the public debut of the soccer star’s collection, we hope to catch a glimpse perhaps on the pitch this Friday, where Ibrahimovic will be playing in the 2016 UEFA European Championship.
