Athleisure and Beyoncé lovers alike, there’s good news: IVY PARK is back and better than ever. In collaboration with Adidas, the multi-award winning musician and co-founder of the activewear line is reclaiming her power within her own brand and bringing back her fresh, sleek styles and reinventing the line to something bigger and better.
Originally announced in 2014 and sold exclusively in Topshop beginning in 2016, the 2018 reports of sexual harassment against Topshop’s Philip Green led to Beyonce’s eventual disassociation with the brand. She bought it back entirely from Topshop that same year, taking the reins of her own company (as the only African American woman with 100% ownership of an “athleisure” brand) and took her collection elsewhere. In this case, to Adidas.
Through a “multi-layered partnership” with the German athletic wear company, Beyoncé will still have full ownership over IVY PARK through this collaboration and extensive collection. She debuted the new and improved line via “cinematic vignettes” for Elle, modeling each piece herself. Juxtaposed with luxury designer goods (think Bottega Veneta woven sandals, Lorraine Schwartz jewels, and a dramatic Valentino gown), paying homage to Beyoncé’s love of fashion experimentation, mixing “high and low, sportswear with couture, even masculine and feminine.”
Originally designed for real women on the go who needed to navigate their lives, whether it was for their workouts or just for their day-to-day activities. But once she caught wind that men were also shopping the IVY PARK line, this time around, she’s introducing gender-neutral styles as well as footwear for the first time to expand upon the selection and make it all inclusive.
As part of the relaunch of her brand, the global phenomenon took part in a candid “ask me anything” session with Elle, dishing out her personal wisdom, career insights, as well as her visions for IVY PARK.
“I am excited for you to see the campaign for the first collection of this new partnership,” she answered, responding to a question asking what we all want to know–what is in store for this IVY PARK launch? “It incorporates my personal style and expands that to include something for everyone. I love experimenting with fashion, mixing high and low, sportswear with couture, even masculine and feminine.”
Describing the line as “fun” and creative, she focused on creating a unisex collection (“I appreciate the beauty of gender-neutral clothing and breaking the so called fashion rules”) for those who have embraced the brand across the board, no matter the target consumer. Beyoncé’s attention to detail throughout her career has not gone unnoticed for this collection either, personally overseeing the collection through its evolution and leaving no details out. Whether it was choosing the color story or a minute design detail, the collection has her personal touch all over it–and as it should.
“I took a chance on myself when I bought my company back,” she added. “We all have the confidence in us to take chances and bet on ourselves.”
Photo Credit:@beyonce
