Ivy Park Launch

Ivy Park Launch

01_@2x_1940x1256

Athleisure has seen pretty significant growth lately, and celebs creating their own collections has become commonplace. So it’s not a huge surprise to see Beyonce getting in on the act, with her much anticipated Ivy Park collection of athleisure wear, which launched yesterday.

I went along to the blogger preview in Topshop, Cardiff which was rescheduled for 7.30am Thursday morning instead of Wed evening, as we had to wait until Fifth Avenue officially launched, although I’ve read the NYC and Fifth Avenue launches were anything but busy.

Pink Shorts

A brief presentation told us about the inspiration for the collection, Beyonce’s daughter Blue Ivy and her love of running in the Park when she was younger, and then we got to take a closer look.  What makes this collaboration a little different is that it will remain a permanent collection and is a standalone range, stocked at other retailers, online and offline.  Perhaps this is the reason the expected hype and crowds around the launch didn’t happen, especially in the US – everyone knows it’s here to stay.  Although selling out online at Topshop suggests there’s still a pretty committed army of fans ready to embrace the brand.

Beyonce was involved in the entire design process we were told and she wants to get girls and women active no matter what their size or age.

Body

The standout piece was the body, which seems to epitomise Beyonce as a strong, curvy and athletic woman, and apparently this is the sell-out piece so far. Materials used for the collection are all with activity and working out in mind, and echo the performance and construction of some leading sportswear brands – such as double facing, bonded seams and zip locks..

Store Interior

I especially like the sheer black long sleeve hoodie and the items in coral and cobalt blue add a great splash of colour amongst the black, grey and white.  Prices are pretty reasonable too ranging from £17 – £180.  The collection sits well in Topshop and alongside a fair bit of athleisure wear they already sell.

So far I’m a fan as I think it’s pitched at just the right price range and looks great. Even though the brand name appears across much of the collection it’s done well and it’s a great name too. Reminds me a little of the menswear range by Idris Elba for Superdry, plenty of branding on the collection, but done tastefully.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *