Following in the footsteps of designers like Tory Burch, Rebecca Minkoff and Mara Hoffman — each of whom launched their own collection of athleisure wear this year — Kate Spade New York has announced a new offering of high-fashion spandex in a collaboration with Beyond Yoga.
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Kate Spade’s collection is completely on brand with the company’s preppy chic aesthetic, featuring a black-and-white striped zip-front jacket with bow detail at the collar as well as a perky red sports bra — also shaped like a bow. The line, priced between $80 and $178, is a limited-edition collection and will be available in stores this January as well as online at both KateSpade.com and BeyondYoga.com. 
It seems that for contemporary designers, the expansion into athletic wear is beginning to seem as natural as branching out into shoes and accessories as an inevitable part of growth. At this point, the booming athleisure industry is nearly inseparable from the aspirationally health-conscious lifestyle that’s all the rage in Hollywood at the moment (thank you, Kate Hudson and Gwyneth Paltrow), giving high-end designers an even greater incentive to create luxury sweats.
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Rather than start their own collection, however, some designers like Stella McCartney have opted for collaborations with already established sportswear brands like Adidas and Nike. This approach gives performance-driven athletes a fashionable alternative to the gear they trust while also giving comfort-motivated legging enthusiasts a excuse to not wear pants to brunch. Win-win, really.
