The Association of Suppliers to the British Clothing Industry (ASBCI) takes on the phenomenon that is athleisure at its autumn conference next month. Fashion’s biggest growth trend of the last few years – in the UK alone, in 2017 the sports-related clothing market rose 8%* to £2.5bn – athleisure is a fashion juggernaut, but can it continue to grow, and what are the secrets to success in such a highly competitive marketplace?
Driven by the growth in the health and wellbeing industry, and fuelled by social platforms such as Instagram, where a host of celebrities share snaps of their clean-living, clean-eating lifestyles kitted out in the latest sports-inspired fashion, athleisure has taken the high street by storm. The ASBCI conference will address the current opportunities and future potential of athleisure and look at how the trend’s leading brands and retailers are developing both their product and their customer base.
Graeme Moran, head of content, fashion and features at Drapers, will open the conference with a scene-setting presentation looking at where the athleisure trend came from and where it is going. He will be joined by an expert line-up of brands, retailers and analysts who will explore this fashion phenomenon in more detail and provide delegates with insights into what works and what doesn’t and what the industry can expect from athleisure in the future.
Claire O’Neill from Lycra will look at the role that advancing fibre technology has played in the rise of athleisure and the latest innovations underpinning its future. Lectra will provide practical advice on designing and producing activewear garments using technical fabrics, while Jutta Vo Quang from Freudenberg will examine the transition to performance in fashion and highlight some key performance trends to watch. They will be joined by big-name brands such as Boss Menswear, which will share their experiences of launching and operating in the athleisure arena.
The speakers confirmed so far include Drapers, Bureau Veritas, Lectra, Freudenberg, Boss Menswear, Lycra, and M&S. More information on the day’s programme can be found here.
The conference will be hosted by Dr Julie King, head of fashion for Northampton University and ASBCI event director, and is sponsored by Bureau Veritas, Lectra, and Freudenberg.
The conference takes place at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Nottingham on Wednesday 14 November. Registration takes place from 9am and places can be booked via the ASBCI: www.asbci.co.uk – 01422 354666 – asbcioffice@asbci.co.uk. A limited number of early bird places are available until 19 October.
*GlobalData Report - The UK Sports Market 2017-2022 Report; May 2017.
