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