Why Celebrity Fitness Lines Sell
In our culture today, when there is a trending show, diet, or even Tik Tok dance... most people want to hop on the train and ride along. More prominently, when a celebrity publicizes the trend, it spreads even faster and more people are inclined to participate.
Proactive brands and stars have caught wind of this pattern and instead of just endorsing a celebrity to represent them, an extension in the celebrity’s name is either created or a business is built from the ground up, starring that personality. Stars in this day and age are proving that they are more than a one-trick pony and are taking on entrepreneurial ventures that have proven to be very successful. In this blog, Hollywood Branded takes a look at 10 celebrities who have created their own fitness product line or who have their very own extension as part of an existing brand.
Fabletics By Kate Hudson
Iconic Golden Globe-winning actress, mother of two, and now fashion entrepreneur, Kate Hudson launched Fabletics back in October of 2013, and the company has become an athletic wear sensation since. Fabletics co-founders Don Ressler and Adam Goldenberg, launched Fabletics with Kate in an attempt to make fitness apparel that was not only high quality, but affordable as well.
Fabletics is set apart from other big athletic brand companies, due to their lower pricing, but instead of focusing on high price points to generate revenue, Fabletics relies on its tech-centric DNA. This technology generates buyer preferences, which helps Fabletics know what their consumers like and want.
Fabletics mission about wearing clothing that inspires people to live an active and healthy lifestyle, whether that means doing strenuous exercise or even just taking care of your kids. No person is left out of the Fabletics target market, because this line is for everyone and that is exactly what Kate wants her customers to know. Kate Hudston states, “sometimes, for an average woman or an everyday woman or a soccer mom or someone who doesn’t necessarily know how to get into the healthy lifestyle, it can be a little bit intimidating. So I kind of wanted to create something that was more about a lifestyle than an actual fitness brand. And it seemed to really resonate.”
Ivy Park By Beyoncé
Let's be real for a second... what can't Beyoncé do? Not only is she an international super star, but a mother, producer, wife, and now fashion designer. Beyoncé released Ivy Park back in 2016, but when she partnered with Adidas in 2019 to do creative design, she decided to stay with them. Ivy Park is her own line branched from Adidas, with sole proprietorship (and when it comes to Beyoncé, you take what you can get).
In the beginning of the year, Beyoncé dropped a limited release of her gender-inclusive apparel and accessories on January 18th and, within seconds, her line sold out; her Beyhive did not disappoint. Needless to say, the launch of Ivy Park x Adidas was a success and a lot of that comes from Beyonce's creation of wanting to make a line inclusive to all genders. She states, "The way [men] have embraced the brand is an unexpected gift. I appreciate the beauty of gender-neutral clothing and breaking the so-called fashion rules."
The next time Beyoncé drops another collection of Ivy Park, there is no doubt in anyone's mind it will be sold out in seconds, again. According to Adidas, "Ivy Park celebrates power, freedom and individuality for anyone who has the confidence to take chances and live unapologetically, " and this quote is the living proof of what Beyoncé lives by.
Photo Credit: www.GettheGloss.com
EleVen By Venus Williams
Not only does Venus Williams win on the tennis court, but she wins in fashion design, as well; her athletic wear company was an instant success. Venus Williams, a former No. 1 and seven-time Grand-Slam singles champion in women's tennis, started the activewear company EleVen in 2012.
Williams says in an interview with Bustle, "I started EleVen to celebrate self-expression, so designing for EleVen is not only my job, but it’s my creative outlet! I like to leave the chaos behind and find balance by focusing on what is inspiring me at the moment and create something!"
EleVen was created to give women quality activewear that allowed them to feel great and perform better. The brand has an emphasis on tennis activewear, but it also has everyday apparel for any occasion. Venus Williams says you will feel your best in and off the court in EleVen, and coming from a world-renowned athlete like herself, she is a more than reliable source to trust.
Photo Credit: Google Images
Calia By Carrie Underwood
Grammy Award-winning country Singer and American Idol winner in 2005, Carrie Underwood paired with Dicks Sporting Goods to create a fitness apparel and lifestyle line back in 2015. Her line's name is Calia, which is based on the greek word "kalos," meaning beauty. Underwood states the idea behind the brand is to help women “look as good on the outside as they feel on the inside.”
Calia was envisioned so that women would never have to sacrifice fashion for function and lifestyle for workout, so the pieces in all of her collections are adorable and also give women the confidence to complete a killer workout.
Carrie Underwood, being the busy bee she is, wanted an active wear line that allowed the flexibility to go from the recording studio to the grocery store to the gym, and this is exactly what Calia allows for.
Photo Credit: Gym Shark
Nyama Sol x Jennifer Lopez
JLo is already a triple threat in the entertainment world, and after the world saw her SuperBowl performance...how can you not have a girl crush on her? JLo is an unstoppable force in the industry and she recently paired with Nyama Sol to create her own line of leggings.
The team paired up and created a line of leggings designed and inspired by JLo. Each pair has a different story and design, and some even have her face on them (and who wouldn't want JLo's face on your clothes?)!
The press release reads "Niyama Sol is focused on contentment, self-love, and other principals for healthy living, which really resonated with Lopez who was heavily involved in the concept and design process." Even though this leggings won't make you have a popping booty like JLo, you can still wear them and try!
Day/Won By Candice Huffine
An epiphany sparked Candice Huffine as she was training for the Boston Marathon and she realized that women her size are often limited to comfy and affordable workout clothing. This is where the idea to create Candice's activewear line Day/Won came into fruition.
Candice Huffine is a plus-sized model who strives and advocates for women of all shapes and sizes. Candice has been a standout model for almost two decades in the modeling world and now has an eager passion for women to be body positive and know that they can do anything, just like her.
Day/Won has sizes from 0-32 and is manufactured on an on-demand model, meaning when a new order is placed it is made to order. No order is prior stocked. Candice says,"I cannot make something for women that's not for all women," and she orbits Day/Won around this mantra.
Fenty x Puma By Rihanna
S.O.S., Rihanna has a collaboration with Puma. While it stopped production in Spring 2018, you might be lucky enough to snag some items secondhand and online. Needless to say, her line with Puma was a huge success and it goes to show that celebrity brand partnerships work.
Rihanna is a major pop star, actress, song-writer, and savvy businesswoman, and back in 2014 Puma teamed up with her to create Fenty x Puma. The line created was very exclusive and allotted for only a number of people to own items from this collection, making the products even more desirable to get into the hands of not only The Navy, but to other consumers as well.
RiRi changed the fashion industry back when she debuted her first fashion line with Puma and continues to rise today. Back when her Fenty Puma collection came out, RiRi said she wanted to challenge "traditional male and female silhouettes and blur the lines between genders," and that is just what she did.
Project Rock Collection By Dwayne Johnson
Last, but not least, we have Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's collaboration with Under Armour in which he created his very own line. The Rock is an absolute beast when it comes to all aspects, and in the weight room is no exception. Because of this, it makes perfect sense as to why he would pair with the extremely popular workout wear brand Under Armor.
The team paired up back in 2016 and the collection first dropped in 2018 and most recently has a new collection that came out beginning of this year. Under Armour's line with The Rock is about those dedicated to putting their nose to the grindstone with their workouts, stating that "the only way is through."
A portion of Johnson and Under Amour’s proceeds goes towards a non-profit organization, Team Rubicon, which helps veterans continue their services to help communities when disaster strikes. Project Rock proceeds are also going to COVID-19 related organizations like food banks, donating gear and even offering home workouts. The Rock’s core values are easy to understand: “in the face of fear and doubt, our desire for overcoming odds will never go away,” and that applies to the mantra of his activewear collection as well.
The Warmup by Jessica Simpson
Singer, songwriter, actress, and TV personality Jessica Simpson has created a multi-million dollar clothing empire for herself, and it seems as though she isn't stopping there! Simpson first started dipping her toes into the athletic-wear world in 2015 with an exclusive line sold at Macy's, and has been sold at the department store since then. The brand has modestly-priced items, as Simpson wanted to ensure that these pieces were accessible to all. In an interview with Forbes, she said that she "wants to make every woman feel confident in what they're wearing."
HKNB by Heidi Klum
TV host and model, Heidi Klum, is no stranger to brand deals. However, HKNB, a project with New Balance, is her first foray into designing pieces for a brand. Her long-term partnership with the athletic wear started in 2010, making her one of the first celebrities to get in front of the athleisure wear trend. While she hasn't come out with new pieces since 2016, her partnership paved the way for celebrities everywhere to get in on the timeless trend!
The Rise of Athleisure Wear and Celebrities
As athletic brands are becoming more popular, it is important that they keep up with the fast moving pace of the rise of athletic wear and find a target market to dominate and sell to. Which is why pairing with a celebrity to not only endorse the brand, but have a stake in the company as well to have their own line can take your company to new heights.
A note that is important when having celebrities work with your brand, is to make sure the partnerships seems organic and real. A lot of brands have moved to influencer marketing, due to the appeal of the partnership looking less like an advertisement. This is not to say celebrity partnerships should not be done; they just need to be done better and this could be the strategy that puts your athletic brand on top.
There are many more celebrities that have gone to create their own fitness lines or even paired with a company to make an extension of their brand, and these were merely a sample of some of the lines that are out there. With the huge boom of athletic and athleisure wear nowadays, people are now wearing what is thought to be only worn in the gym stylishly on the streets, as well.
Check out other blogs written by our team about social influencers and partnerships:
- Power of YouTube in Influencer Endorsements
- Partnering Brands With Influencers
- The Top 10 Highest Endorsed Athletes
Want to learn more about how to connect celebrities with your brand or event? Check out our awesome E-Book!
