Walmart Launches New Activewear and Swimwear Collection
Adding to its portfolio, Walmart has released its newest own brand clothing collection that fuses fashion and fitness. Love & Sports is Walmart’s new active and swimwear brand created in partnership with fashion designer Michelle Smith and indoor cycling instructor Stacey Griffith.
The inaugural collection features 121 women’s activewear and swim items, priced between $12 and $42. Pieces of the collection include running shorts, sweatshirts, jackets and more featuring bold and bright colors, giving the collection a retro feel. Love & Sports joins other Walmart exclusive brands such as Free Assembly, Scoop, The Pioneer Woman and more.
“Since the pandemic started, activewear has been a high-growth category and an important one for our customers,” said Denise Incandela, EVP of apparel and private brands at Walmart. “In fact, The NPD Group reported that activewear was up 37% in 2021. It was only natural for activewear to be the next step in expanding our elevated brands portfolio, and we’re doing it with a bold, exciting brand that fills a white space for high-quality, high-performance activewear and swim without the high price tag."
The activewear collection is available online now, and is rolling out to 1,500 Walmart locations. The swim collection will arrive soon after, just in time for summer, featuring strapless one-piece suits, “retrokini” tops and more.
Love & Sports collections will drop seasonally, with new additions like footwear and accessories slated to arrive in the fall. The entire Love & Sports collection is universally flattering and available in sizes XS-XXXL for activewear and XS – XXL for swimwear.
“Michelle and Stacey collaborated on the development process from start to finish, thoughtfully creating every design around the performance level of an athlete and the emerging fashion trends and colorways in fitness, streetwear and swim,” said Incandela. “The entire collection features elevated details, like moisture-wicking fabrics, plenty of pockets, reflective taping, metal zippers with logos and waistbands that can be rolled down to transition from the current trend of high-waisted bottoms to a trend-forward low-waisted look."