Celebrates one-year of partnership with major brand campaign championing girls as changemakers, teammates, athletes and activists
SAN FRANCISCO, April 19, 2022 /CNW/ - In celebration of the first year of partnership, and a shared mission of empowering the next generation of girls, Simone Biles and Athleta are launching Biles' first signature collection of activewear for Athleta Girl. This limited-edition line is designed to help girls ages 6-12 feel inspired and confident whenever they wear it.
Biles spent the past year partnering with Athleta's design team to cultivate a collection authentic to who she is as a person and athlete. Each style reflects her voice by incorporating the inspiring affirmations she tells herself every day. With a mix of matte and shine fabrics, chalk patterns inspired by the gym, and powerful optimistic colours, the collection evokes Biles' grace, resilience, and strength, with iconic details for girls to wear and let their own light shine through.
"My inspiration behind this collection was to create clothing that is both cute and comfy and can be worn from school to practice while uplifting girls and encouraging them to chase their dreams," said Biles. "It has been a longtime dream of mine to create an athletic line, and the opportunity to design this collection for Athleta Girl is so special to me. I want girls to feel inspired when they wear clothing in this collection, and for them to know that they can do anything they put their minds to."
Athleta is launching its second major campaign with Biles that champions girls as changemakers, teammates, athletes, and activists. By continuing to reach girls where they are—whether together with friends, getting active outdoors, or in the metaverse—Athleta and Biles continue to show girls that they have the power to break barriers in sports and in life.
Athleta is one of the only performance lifestyle brands to establish a celebrity partnership specifically in the Girls category, underscoring its commitment to the unique product category and brand differentiation.
Athleta Girl has become a powerful growth driver and key contributor to Athleta's 2X Plan to reach $2B in net sales by 2023, propelled by Athleta Girl's clear points of differentiation—multigenerational outfitting for moms and daughters, innovative product collaborations like the "Girl On-The-Go" Period Kit by Lola and the brand's first-of-its kind partnership with Biles.
Biles' first co-created product, a limited-edition "In Your Element Hoodie," debuted last fall as the most-viewed item on Athleta.com within hours of its release.
"Since its launch in 2016, we've strategically scaled Athleta Girl into a powerhouse category for our brand and a key contributor to our plan to reach $2B in net sales by 2023," said Mary Beth Laughton, president and chief executive officer of Athleta. "Simone is the perfect partner for us to help empower girls to find their inner strength in school, sports, and play and we're thrilled to launch this Athleta Girl collection with her."
Last year, Athleta joined forces with Biles in a groundbreaking partnership between brand and athlete. Athleta featured Biles as the lead in the brand's summer ad campaign that recognized the importance of her family and community, supported Biles' journey to and in Tokyo without hesitation, prioritized showing the woman behind the athlete through meaningful content on AthletaWell, the brand's digital community platform, as well as Biles' Gold Over America Tour featuring all-female gymnastics as title sponsor. The Athleta-Biles partnership continues to explore meaningful ways to empower and inspire girls, including a $50,000 donation to the Power of She Fund in association with Biles' attendance at the 2021 Met Gala.
Athleta has rewritten the blueprint for partnerships, prioritizing authenticity and shared values that drive both business and impact, and supporting its partners as whole women, beyond their artistic or athletic achievements. Biles is part of a roster of powerful, like-minded partners including Allyson Felix and Alicia Keys who bring these values to life.
The new collection is available in stores and online now. To learn more, visit Athleta.ca.
About Simone Biles:
Simone Biles is one of the greatest female athletes of all-time. The first woman to capture five All-Around World Championship titles, Biles is the most decorated gymnast in World Championships history – male or female - with 25 medals overall (19 gold) and is a seven-time Olympic medalist (4 gold). A three-time Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year, she has earned the rare distinction of having four skills named in her honor – The Biles – across beam, floor (two) and vault disciplines. Biles' extraordinary accomplishments have received widespread recognition including TIME 100 Most Influential, Forbes 30 Under 30, Ebony Power 100, People Women Changing the World, USA Today 100 Women of the Century, and two-time Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year among others. Her autobiography - Courage to Soar - was a New York Times bestseller and developed into an award-winning tv special on Lifetime and her documentary series – Simone vs Herself – that streamed on Facebook Watch is nominated for a Sports Emmy Award. Biles utilizes her platform to help advocate for mental health and support initiatives that provide education and assistance for children and young adults associated with adoption and foster care.
About Athleta:
A certified B Corporation, Athleta is a performance lifestyle brand with a mission of empowering a community of active women and girls. Athleta's versatile premium performance lifestyle apparel is designed by women for women with inclusivity at its core. Founded in 1998, Athleta integrates performance and technical features across its collection to support women across their entire lifestyle – from yoga and training to travel and sleep. In 2016, the company launched Athleta Girl mirroring its signature performance in styles for the next generation. Based in San Francisco, CA and a Gap Inc. brand (NYSE: GPS), Athleta apparel is available at its more than 220 retail stores across the United States and Canada, through its catalog, and at Athleta.com.
SOURCE Athleta
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