What Do Models Know About Sportswear?
Staying fit is their job so they're taking it to the next level
In 2015 Coco Rocha, famously known for her infinite posing abilities, announced that she would be designing her own sportswear line. Named Co+Co it was a bit of a stretch from her previous work as a model though she’s forayed into reality competition shows as a judge and mentor. This venture is showing how today’s models are thinking long term and wanting to expand their brands while they’re still relevant. However just because their bodies are envied do their model workout regiments qualify them to be designers? It seems that their voices and perspectives are valued as more models, not just celebrities are getting into the activewear competition. Rocha’s designs are bold, graphic and eye catching, not far from the aesthetic of the model herself. It seems that after many years being surrounded by designers and the fashion world, Rocha has found her designer voice as well. "I think when it comes to streetwear with an athletic edge, it's either super cheap and poorly made or it's ridiculously expensive and out of the reach [for] the everyday woman,” said Rocha to Fashionista. |
Another established name is also giving this a go. Former Victoria’s Secret model Rosie Huntington-Whitely expanded her Rosie for Autograph collaborative line with Marks & Spencer to include activewear. The items in her line are centered towards yoga and Pilates offered in demure natural tones with a little floral print here and there. Most items are to be expected though she offers leotards, bodysuits and a few fitted crop tops. In a statement released with Marks & Spencer, Huntington-Whiteley has said that "fitness and wellbeing is such a huge part of my life, it feels like a really natural step for my existing lingerie range to develop and now include activewear pieces." The items within Rosie for Autograph Active are on brand for the sultry model whose look is feminine and modern as projected through her garments.
On the other side of the fashion specter is Adrianne Ho, model and fitness blogger behind Sweat the Style who has a collection with PacSun. Ho doesn’t focus on just womenswear but has included garments for men as well. Her experience with the fitness world as being more than just a participant has given her an inside into the logistics behind workout gear. Her designs focus on technical details and ergonomics with zippers for ventilation and reflective panels. “The point is to not think about what you are wearing – but [to think about] what you are doing,” said Ho to Women’s Wear Daily.
It’s not just the young, hot models who are trying to expand their brands. Rudy Gernreich’s muse, 75 year-old Peggy Moffitt also has a line of activewear under her belt. With fun titles like ‘Playa’ and ‘Formula One’ Moffitt’s designs are reminiscent of Gernreich’s infamous color blocked garments with plenty of mesh paneling. In an interview with Women’s Wear Daily, Moffitt said about her line, “I hope they recognize the quality, comfort, taste and humor. Humor can be in the garment, in the person wearing it or the way your spirit is.” There is subtle humor within her garments that are offered in a limited color palette or red, black and white with a few gold accents. Although Moffitt has said that fashion is dead, she’s proving that creativity never goes out of style.
Each model’s lines have clear distinctions between one another. They’re all offering something different from one another and distinct from what is already in the quickly saturated market. Being used to competition, they now have to contend with designers and mass sportswear companies. As the supermodel movement grows so is their impact on fashion both in front of the camera and behind the seams.