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By Mario Fernando
Beyoncé can now add yet another project to her ever so growing resume. The pop star has recently announced her new fitness line, Ivy Park, on social media. Beyoncé teamed up with Sir Philip Green, the chairman of Arcadia Group, to create the collection. Arcadia Group is the company that owns British brands such as Topshop and Topman. Ivy Park releases on Thursday, April 14 of this year and will be sold in Topshop, Nordstrom, Net-A-Porter and other retailers.
Ivy Park is said to have around 200 pieces and will also range from as low as $30 to $200. The sports line’s focus is swimwear and running attire but will include basics like tank tops and leggings. It promises to secure and enhance areas of needed resistance. Recently, all images of the collection were released.
Ivy Park was inspired when Beyoncé realized that there were not many brands of athletic wear for women like her and her friends. She also realized that aging and raising a child has also influenced her to stay fit and healthy. What I see from the collection is that the focus is on how well the clothes work, rather than how they look or how flashy they are. In the campaign video, we see several women doing strenuous activity while wearing the clothes. Also, from what has been released in interviews, Beyoncé is really focusing on including women of different shapes and sizes that partake in various types of exercise. One thing that makes this collection distinct from other celebrity lines is that it will be sold in a variety of stores, not just in Topshop.
Beyoncé stated in her interview with Elle Magazine that she wanted to be very hands-on with the project. Because she is always rehearsing and dancing, she knew what she wanted the line to feel like. Because of the movement she does, she wanted the collection to be soft and form fitting but also able to expand with the body. It includes an array of fabrics like cotton, spandex, mesh, and the sort. She focused on the construction first and aesthetics second. They spent time on the garments to create custom techniques to push activewear further. For example, Ivy Park’s press team stated, “outerwear pieces feature performance details, such as heat sealed tape bonded holes for headphone cables to slip discreetly through.”
The project is different from other celebrity collaborations because it’s not an endorsement deal. Beyoncé was the one who pitched the idea to Green and gave him the mission statement, purpose and marketing strategy. They agreed on a 50-50 partnership and have been working on the project since the beginning of this year.
Ivy Park’s brand manifesto, which her company so graciously shared with us, gives such a unique insight into the brand itself. This collection is not just about pretty prints with a celebrity name slapped on. According to the brand manifesto, Ivy Park’s mission is to “ promote women in every sense academically, emotionally, and physically”, “prove mental strength is achievable through physical strength” and “demonstrate that sport cuts through age, race, status, religion-incredibly unifying and levelling.” Ivy Park’s press team also confirmed that this will be the first of many seasons, which will all feature its second-skin signature pieces.
For more information on the brand and to find a store near you visit http://www.ivypark.com/.
