Luxury & sport: these fashion trends are setting new standards

Whether on the street, the catwalk, in the mountains or with international luxury brands, the sportswear trend has firmly established itself in the urban lifestyle. Innovations in textiles and design not only meet the requirements of athletes, but also those of current fashion trends. Sportswear is now worn for every occasion.

The best example of this development is the sneaker hype, which is constantly being given new impetus by outdoor culture, artistic influences and collaborations with the luxury segment. In the last two years, Decathlon has increased its turnover by 12% and achieved a total turnover of 15.6 billion euros. This makes Decathlon the third largest player worldwide in the manufacturing and distribution sector.

Another example of the success of sportswear brands is Lululemon™, also known in China as the "Hermès of yoga clothing". According to the Chinese trend and consumer analysis agency Jing Daily, the brand was able to increase its global net sales for 2023 to 9.6 billion dollars, which corresponds to an increase of 19% compared to the previous year. These figures illustrate the current luxury and outdoor trend in the Asian markets, triggered by Anta's acquisition of the Amer Group in 2019.

Luxury shows that courage as a fashion trend makes all the difference. A prime example: Haider Ackermann becomes the new creative director at Canada Goose™ and brings a breath of fresh air to the OutDoor scene. He is the first creative director in the brand's history and is known for his work at Berluti™ as well as for his own brand. His expertise in luxury and his talent for cuts and colors are a game changer for the outdoor sector. As in the luxury segment, Canada Goose is also committed to the highest performance standards. The brand, known for its extreme cold weather gear and large urban fan base in Canada, the USA and Japan, is sure to benefit from Ackermann's ambitious ideas and innovative spirit.

The creative headquarters is of course none other than Paris, where creativity, haute couture and the outdoor market form a stable trend combination. Canada Goose generates the majority of its sales with a single product: the down jacket. To remain successful in the long term, the brand needs a creative explosion. Is Canada Goose striving to develop accessible luxury outdoor performance? Similar to Moncler, which recorded growth of 16 % in 2023.

One of the strongest fashion trends at the moment is the fusion of luxury and sport. Accessories and attitudes have changed fundamentally on the catwalks. Brands have mastered the art of redesigning outdoor elements such as accessories, colors and shapes for the urban lifestyle and thus also inspire non-athletes. At the forefront of this development are brands such as Lacoste™, Fusalp™, Moncler™, Pyrenex™, Adidas™, Veillance™, Prototypes™ and Chanel™, which presented a 90s sports-style swimsuit for its spring/summer 25 Cruise collection. Marine Serre also shows how hybrid creation works: her spring/summer 25 show consisted entirely of recycled materials.

A prime example of this fusion: the fashion show organized by Vogue and Condé Nast on Place Vendôme in Paris, which celebrated luxury and the Olympic Games - Lacoste was particularly striking.

In Paris, major outdoor brands are conquering the luxurious districts with new flagship stores. Salomon™, ON running™, Moncler™, Fusalp™ and Arc'teryx™ are leading the way and showing how well outdoor and luxury can harmonize. At the "Champs Elysée Retail Way", these brands prove that style and functionality can go hand in hand.

Arc'teryx has opened its new flagship store in a chic Parisian neighborhood, right next to luxury shoe retailer JM Weston™. This neighborhood brings the customer groups closer together and creates an exciting synergy. The city line Veillance™ is particularly in the spotlight, with its brand DNA proudly emblazoned on the wall: "A set of essential pieces for city life."

Outdoor brands such as Arc'teryx have been offering repair services for a long time, but now also directly on site. The Paris store features "The Rebird Workshop", where customers can resell or recycle their products. This is the first time the brand has offered this service in France - by appointment for jackets and pants.

Veja also attaches great importance to shoe repairs in its general stores in Paris, Berlin, Madrid and New York in order to extend the life of its products and change consumer behavior. The sales and service orientation is perfectly aligned with the customer's lifestyle. As in the luxury segment, the shopping experience becomes crucial to create personalization and emotional connection that fosters loyalty.

Cycling is experiencing a real hype, is the third most popular sport in terms of athlete popularity according to Panthéon World and is an absolute fashion trend. A study by Kantar and the eyewear brand KRYS on women's cycling shows that the target group under the age of 35 is particularly active on the saddle:

• 95% use the bike for leisure activities
• 44% as a means of transportation
• 17% take part in club activities or competitions

Robyn Orret, designer at Rapha™, emphasizes: "This segment is still underdeveloped compared to its potential, both among professional cyclists and amateurs." With creative stories and innovative designs, the pioneering brand Rapha™ takes performance sportswear to a new level and celebrates cycling as a lifestyle.

Brands such as Tomo Clothing™, Wilma™, Le Café du Cycliste™, Stickman™ and Maap.cc™ are also bringing a breath of fresh air to cycling clothing and responding to the ever-growing demand for stylish and technically advanced textiles that are perfectly adapted to the needs of cyclists.

The crème de la crème of trendy brands? Veja™, Hoka™, Oakley™, Gentle Monster™, Diadora™, Salomon™ and Our Legacy™ are at the forefront and regularly create new fashion trends themselves. Jean Pourrat, Sport Development Manager at Veja, puts it in a nutshell: "Lifestyle and outdoors world have always coexisted. Historically, outdoor brands have used design in the service of function and this is the function which became part of lifestyle trends."

The formula for success for a lifestyle product? Quite simple: sustainability, a unique design with an ecological twist, versatility and usability. Plus materials that are more environmentally friendly, traceability and transparency that the consumer also understands. This makes outdoor fashion not only functional, but also mega stylish and environmentally conscious.

Marketing is all about club spirit - be it through brands, tools or influencer campaigns. Especially in tennis, running and cycling, brands are creating experiences outside their own four walls that promote a synergy of worlds and a strong community.

Picture™ invites you to "Grasse Mat'" (meaning "sleep in"), a series of walks and breakfasts across France. Hopaal™ combines the thrill and comfort of outdoor sports with "Field Team" city races. Sporty & Rich™ celebrates the launch of its loungewear collection with a dinner at Tennis de la Cavalerie, a hotspot for fashion shows and haute couture dinners.

The Rapha™ Cycling Club is a dynamic, international community of cycling enthusiasts who enjoy shared rides and a dedicated cycling app. Digitally, the Strava Club™ platform tracks and shares the activities of its members and offers community challenges. Brands use this digital solution to create new communication opportunities.

Champion™ partnered with the medium Highsnobiety™ and hosted a pop-up event during Paris Fashion Week in June. Hoka™ expanded its influences by bringing star chef Guillaume Sanchez from Parisian restaurant NESO on board. An Instagram campaign was launched with the support of outfitter Satisfy™.

The latest brand collaborations are hotter than ever. On Running has teamed up with American actress Zendaya and has just opened a new store on the Champs Elysées - a real eye-catcher. In Seoul, Bonbon™ and Kappa™ are rocking the tailoring with their co-branding. Puma, known for creative partnerships with Alexander McQueen and Jil Sander, is teaming up with Coperni™ to launch a collection that combines modern and essential lifestyle elements for the OutDoor.

Miu Miu™ and New Balance™ have introduced the New Balance 530 in two super stylish versions, including a trendy mule, following their fall/winter 24 collection. The young, sustainable running label Circle Sportswear has launched a chic and active collection together with Claudie Pierlot. And the dream team Jacquemus™ and Nike™ are continuing their successful collaboration from 2022 and are launching new products in 2024 that will be celebrated by top athletes, actors and international top chefs.

These co-brandings are more than just marketing hypes. They push the boundaries of sporting style and push the development towards more sustainable production.

Times are changing - and so is the prospect, which has become an integral part of fashion trends. Formerly just a strategic study to predict behavior, it is now becoming a real strategy for action. Brands need to get to market faster and plan for the long term at the same time. This means asking the right, broad questions and finding answers that are perfectly tailored to the brand's micro-environment - from product to financing to distribution.

The mix of luxury and outdoors strengthens cultural credibility and inspires new approaches to resource management and innovation. Here are the hot questions driving the outdoor and sports sector:

How are textile innovation and style changing the outdoor sector? How much will sport influence our wardrobes? How do you preserve the brand heritage and market share of an outdoor brand? What kind of co-branding fits into the world of OutDoor? How far can the responsibility of producers and marketers be developed in storytelling and sourcing? What role will the "Service as a Product" strategy play in the coming years?

These questions are key to shaping the future of the outdoor and sports sector and making brands fit for competition.