In December, independent streetwear brand Named Collective announced the launch of activewear brand Nth Active after years of watching its customers wear its hoodies and joggers to the gym. “U deserve more than adapting gym wear to fit ur life. U deserve pieces actually made for it,” they announced in an Instagram caption, which now has nearly 30,000 likes.

And they’re not alone. From high-end luxury to mass-market labels, fashion brands are increasingly recognizing the opportunity in activewear. Last week, Balenciaga announced that its upcoming pre-fall collection would include its own sportswear line, TechWear, featuring breathable running shorts, lightweight training layers, stretch jerseys and antimicrobial sports bras made from its new ‘ProBody’ performance fabric. Earlier last year, Miu Miu launched pop-up store series, Gymnasium, to promote its expanded activewear line of sports bras and shorts, fit for a pink Pilates princess. Meanwhile, streetwear label Corteiz has recently released compression pieces for training, after the founder noticed consumers wearing its pieces to the gym.

Balenciaga Pre-Fall 2026.

Photo: Courtesy of Balenciaga

Others have chosen to partner directly with established sportswear specialists to build credibility in the category. Kim Kardashian’s Skims took this route with the launch of NikeSkims, a new brand co-developed with Nike and distributed through both labels’ channels. Fear of God followed a similar model through its long-term partnership with Adidas, unveiling Fear of God Athletics as a performance-led extension of the label. Last year, MM6 Maison Margiela collaborated with outdoor brand Salomon on trail-ready footwear and Gore-Tex jackets designed for hiking.

Market data supports the momentum. Nia Pejsak, advisory director at Stylus, notes that active and outdoor product sales are projected to grow at a combined annualized rate of 3.3% through 2029 (GlobalData, 2025). However, she cautions that “as we approach saturation… activewear will continue to be relevant as long as it responds to new demands shaping the sector.”

“Expanding into activewear or launching a collection with a reputed sportswear player — as seen with collaborations such as Nike x Aritzia or Nike x Skims — allows non-sports brands not only to tap into a more resilient segment than traditional fashion, but also generate higher margins, as tech-enhanced fabrics and performance narratives help justify stronger pricing and elevate positioning among health-conscious women,” says Marguerite Le Rolland, head of footwear and apparel at Euromonitor International.

From a marketing perspective, she adds, these partnerships also extend reach by borrowing credibility from both sides of the equation: sportswear brands bring technical authority, while fashion brands contribute cultural relevance. Campaigns are increasingly fronted not only by founders and celebrities, such as Kim Kardashian and Blackpink’s Lisa for NikeSkims, but also by athletes, instructors, and fitness creators whose routines and communities lend authenticity to performance claims.

NikeSkims Spring ‘26 collection featuring Lisa.

Photo: Courtesy of NikeSkims

Nearly every fashion brand is launching sportswear, but here’s how to get it right.

Choosing a sport to align with

One of the first decisions brands face is whether to anchor activewear to a specific sport or take a broader approach. Traditionally, luxury houses have led with sports that carry strong visual signifiers and cultural associations: Gucci’s 2024 tennis capsules drew on archival codes while introducing performance fabrics, while Dior tapped golf for a menswear capsule last April. Elsewhere, Prada has drawn on sailing through its Luna Rossa program, which has historically sold technical windbreakers, weatherproof outerwear and Re-Nylon pieces designed for maritime conditions.

Skiing is another sport gaining traction across the market. At the luxury end, Jacquemus partnered with Nike on a technical skiwear drop featuring triple-layer waterproof Gore-Tex and PrimaLoft padding. Further down the market, mid-tier brands such as J.Crew have taken a similar route, partnering with Kappa on performance-led ski jackets.

For Manchester-based fashion brand The Couture Club — whose fanbase includes influencer Molly-Mae Hague and soccer player Lamine Yamal and has seen sales increase by 200% in the last five years — the decision was deliberately not to specialize. “We didn’t align with a single sport,” says founder Ross Worswick, who launched the mainline brand in 2015, and its dedicated activewear line, The Couture Club Performance, in December. “Instead, we intentionally took a cross-functional, lifestyle-performance approach. Our customer moves seamlessly between gym sessions, outdoor runs, daily conditioning, and recovery. By designing for versatility rather than sport-specificity, our pieces adapt across disciplines.”

Photo: Courtesy of The Couture Club

That strategy reflects a wider recalibration around how consumers actually use activewear. “Sport has already very much made its way into non-performance brands because it’s already part of how people dress every day,” says Emay Enemokwu, founder of premium streetwear brand Jehucal. “People train, travel, work, and socialize in the same pieces.” Meanwhile, hybrid work has blurred distinctions between workwear and leisurewear, while climate volatility has increased demand for garments that manage sweat, heat, and durability.

The development process, however, often proves more demanding than anticipated. “This process took significantly longer than our mainline development,” says Worswick. “Every sample went through rigorous performance testing, which pushed timelines back, but it was essential to see how each product held up workout after workout.” Unlike lifestyle apparel, activewear requires new supplier relationships, specialized fabrics, and more extensive wear testing. Brands often need to step outside their existing manufacturing networks to access performance expertise, leading to higher costs and longer lead times.

Ensuring consistency across categories presents an additional challenge. “With every piece, no matter the category, we ask the same question: does this feel unmistakably The Couture Club?” Worswick says. In practice, this means the same internal design team responsible for mainline collections also wear-tests performance products, keeping brand authenticity central to the process. Suppliers, meanwhile, must “bridge two worlds”, meeting high performance standards while also understanding the brand’s design requirements. “While our development cycles may be longer than some performance-led brands, our attention to detail and craftsmanship ensures every fabric performs as effortlessly as it looks,” he adds.

Community-led marketing

For some brands, the biggest shift in launching activewear has been less about product and more about process. Rather than leading with lookbooks or performance claims, activewear is increasingly being introduced through shared training program.

For instance, streetwear brand Jehucal launched Form & Time as the brand’s January discipline challenge alongside a new training app. The program centers on free training sessions, a fitness app, and a podcast focused on real movement stories, with participants earning access through consistency rather than purchase. Rather than leading with product, apparel is introduced at the end of training sessions, using anticipation to reinforce long-term commitment to showing up and doing the work.

This behavior-first approach reflects a broader recalibration in how brands build credibility in performance categories. As consumers become increasingly literate about activewear — and skeptical of vague technical claims — community participation offers a form of proof that marketing alone cannot. Training sessions and challenges allow consumers to experience a product in use, within the context it is designed for, before being asked to buy into it.

It’s becoming increasingly common, especially amongst the independent streetwear scene. Kelly Acheampong, founder of fashion discovery platform Undiscovered, points to premium streetwear brand A Day Without Angst. In late 2025, the brand brought its audience together for a group calisthenics workout where participants both competed and encouraged one another. While prizes were awarded, Acheampong notes that “a highlight was also activewear pieces that were teased on the day,” demonstrating how product can be introduced organically through shared experience rather than conventional marketing.

For brands without sportswear heritage, these community-led strategies offer a way to demonstrate performance relevance without over-claiming technical expertise. By allowing product to emerge through training, brands are using participation itself as proof of performance — building trust before asking consumers to buy in.

How brands can avoid oversaturation

As more labels enter the category, the central risk shifts from whether to launch activewear to how to do so with credibility.

“Much of the market sits at two extremes,” says The Couture Club’s Worswick. On one end are “highly technical products that sacrifice aesthetic appeal”; on the other, fashion-led activewear that “lacks true performance, falling short when it comes to sweat, movement, and durability”. For brands without a deep sportswear heritage, navigating that middle ground has become critical.

The Couture Club’s strategy centers on closing this gap. From a design perspective, the brand argues that activewear is oversaturated with “high-contrast branding and aggressive colourways”, while consumer appetite is shifting towards “more grounded, earth-driven tones”. Its response is “minimal branding” and “luxurious functionality”, aiming to “balance true performance with a sophisticated, understated aesthetic”. This reflects a broader premiumization of the category.

Collaboration offers another route to differentiation. Pejsak points to the Levi’s x Satisfy collaboration as a brand-authentic extension: denim designed for climbing that combines “authentic style with rugged durability and unrestricted mobility”. The success lies in specificity, solving a real functional problem while remaining true to brand DNA.

Looking ahead, activewear itself may need to evolve in response to shifting motivations around fitness. Pejsak points to the growing impact of GLP-1 drugs, noting that “losing weight may no longer be a key factor of exercise”, while muscle loss as a side effect could “drive focus on strength training in performance”. As a result, “activewear offerings and messaging are shifting accordingly”, with products like LNDR’s Muscle Tank reframing muscularity as aspirational rather than niche.

Beyond fashion and streetwear, Pejsak also identifies largely unclaimed territory. “Tech brand extensions will drive innovation, but skincare could be another brand type that we see extending into activewear as a brand pillar,” she says, pointing to Coperni’s C+ Carewear, which uses probiotic athleisure claiming to “balance the skin’s microbiome and support its self-repair mechanisms”. As well-being becomes increasingly holistic, she suggests this convergence could deepen. “Neurocosmetics are shaking up the skincare space,” raising questions about how future fabrics might interact with the skin and nervous system, opening the door to performance wear that prioritizes physiological and cognitive support over sport or aesthetics.

For brands considering activewear in 2026, entry is increasingly easy — relevance is not. As the category matures, success will depend on whether performance is embedded within a brand’s wider values, community, and long-term proposition, rather than treated as a standalone product play.