Athleisure wear sales in China grow, but as a fashion trend it is still in its infancy
In a country where the pursuit of fitness only recently became fashionable, sportswear doesn’t yet double as work wear – but it may be only a matter of time in a market so new before role models, or KOLs, make it a popular trend
The future of the athleisure market in China looks rosy. According to Euromonitor, sportswear sales there grew faster than those of luxury goods from 2012 to 2017, and market leaders Nike and Adidas have both seen double-digit sales growth.
But sales are one thing, and how the trend is interpreted on the ground is another. In a country where going to the gym has only recently become fashionable, what does athleisure wear actually look like?
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“People in China, especially in Beijing, want to be seen differently,” says Zoe Liu, co-founder of Particle Fever, a Chinese designer sportswear brand that stands out in a market dominated by Nike, Adidas, Under Armour and Lululemon.
Liu considers Particle Fever the only locally designed active wear brand that has taken much of a creative approach to marketing and branding. It makes sports bras, leggings, and running shorts that are intended not just to be functional, but trendy and fashionable too.
Liu’s line, which is sold online on Tmall as well as by Lane Crawford, fits in well alongside the functional sportswear collections of Reebok and New Balance in places like Runner Camp – a concept fitness store that opened in Shanghai six months ago and includes an experience centre and running track for trying on shoes, a gym and a retail store. (Runner Camp is probably halfway between Dick’s Sporting Goods in the US, whose major emphasis is fitness, and the UK’s Sweaty Betty, with an emphasis on fashion.)