How fashion designers flipped to athleisure during Covid

Fashion designer Leon Elias Wu says that when the pandemic first hit he felt as though he was "a character in a zombie apocalypse film".

"I went into autopilot... my first proper thoughts and feelings were concern about my family and loved ones," says the Los Angeles-based 42-year-old.

"And then I considered the economy, and how that would impact my business. We'd to believe quickly... to keep carefully the business afloat during the challenging times ahead."

Mr Wu is a designer of bespoke suits beloved by a number of Hollywood actors, including Laverne Cox, Beth Dover, and Jake Graf.

Like the majority of high-end fashion bosses, he suddenly found that with no one in a position to go out to big events, such as for example film premiers, or even just to a fancy restaurant, far fewer persons wished to buy an expensive suit.

So Mr Wu decided he previously to pivot his business. With everyone isolating at home he launched a range of "athleisure" clothing - sporty leisurewear, such as for example sweatshirts and leggings, that can be worn both while exercising or simply while relaxing and lounging around.

Here he speaks of his experience, as do four other fashion designers who have made similar moves in the last year to keep carefully the money coming in.

Mr Wu says that at the beginning of the pandemic his first reaction was to provide clients a 20% discount if indeed they prepaid for future suits. But even with that financial incentive, his suit sales fell 40% this past year.

It was then that he made a decision to also start designing athleisure wear, launching a variety of hoodies and sweatshirts beneath the brand SharpeHaus. Mr Wu, who's a transgender man, says he designed all of the new clothing to be gender inclusive, and appeal equally to a lady, male and non-binary audience.

SharpeHaus is also continuing to produce a series of music videos on YouTube that involve lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender artists covering classic 1980s songs. It really is doing so to improve funds for Cyndi Lauper's True Colors United homelessness charity.

Icelandic designer Sigrun Bjork Olafsdottir makes couture dresses inspired by Nordic and Viking legend.

She says that "about a minute" she was participating at the House of iKons' Fashion Week in London in February 2020, "and another I was locked in the home wondering how exactly to continue pursing my passion for design".

Floored with what was happening, the 50-year-old had to take "a step back" and re-focus. "The best way to do that was to check out that which was needed," she says. "Ready-to-wear in the kind of trendy athleisure wear was the answer, and there began my transition from high-drama couture."

However, she and her company - Sigrun Design - did not find it an easy pivot. "This has been an extremely expensive transition, since it isn´t an easy way to manoeuvre, and the industry is quite elusive to newcomers in the athleisure field."

Nevertheless, Ms Olafsdottir remains hopeful that her new clothing lines will sell.

"The earnings has increased, but so gets the cost, and I still haven't made up the start-up funding. So I can't say that pivot has made an enormous difference with regards to finances.

"But building an online occurrence takes a large amount of time and money, therefore, it is steadily increasing. This should be viewed as an investment."

Brandon Hunt, the boss of Dallas-based fashion label Livintage Apparel, says the pandemic hit him hard because he had only recently become a father. "The shock was unreal," he says. "My family and I did everything we're able to to remain safe. We were overly cautious and managed to stay static in quarantine for months."

The former model have been designing angular, tough-looking "streetwear" - such as for example leather jackets and thigh length boots - but switched to designer hoodies and jogging trousers because persons stuck at home "wanted comfortable clothing that would still look stylish for virtual meetings".

"Expanding my inventory was definitely a challenge for me personally during this uncertain time," says the 33-year-old. "I had to believe beyond the box and find out what will be most successful.

"It was not just a time where persons weren't out shopping as much for new pieces, but there have been shortages in fabrics. It had been much harder to be practical with manufacturers."

Yet, despite these problems he says his first men's and women's collections sold-out quickly. "I likewise have a monthly subscription, where clients can be styled and receive new items. This has motivated me so much, I am already at the job on my next custom loungewear items."

Elisabeth Weinstock used to make expensive snakeskin leather goods, everything from jackets to handbags and wallets under her eponymous brand.

Through the pandemic she launched a variety of women's loungewear and sleepwear under the name Andine.

"It was easy for me to start out small, buy my very own machines and discover incredible craftsmen who are great sewers to work in-house," she says. "So far, everything is cut and sewn inside our building [in Los Angeles]."

Ms Weinstock said that "most anything" is cheaper to create when compared to a snakeskin item. "The purchase price points aren't comparable, and the clientele differs aswell. While it's too new to discuss financials, the initial response has been amazing."

While most women in their late 70s would be perhaps taking things just a little easy, Ellen Curtis has launched her own fashion business - Statement by Ellen C.

Before the pandemic, the 77-year-old was working as a psychiatric nurse providing patients with in-home habit and detox support and care. "However when Covid hit, my doctor recommended I go wrong - the mental stress in conjunction with the virus was just too risky for a senior," she says.

But rather than retiring, she "decided to explore my love of fashion by creating upscale, custom-designed denim jackets and masks, which also meant understanding how to sew!".

Then, with persons stuck in the home, the Los Angeles-based Ms Curtis expanded to a variety of athleisure clothing to improve sales.

"In many ways, the loungewear presented fewer challenges," she says. "Leisure fabrics are simpler to work with than denim, and require fewer embellishments, so pieces come together faster and ultimately cost a lower amount to create.

"With the purchase price lower and the demand for fun everyday fashion higher, my loungewear can be more accessible to customers."

Pippa Stephens, retail analyst at research group GlobalData, says this move to athleisure clothing has been replicated across the largest fashion labels.

"As the suppression of Covid-19 allows social events to little by little resume, consumers will get started to find more going-out appropriate styles once more" she says.

"However, since increased home working may very well be a long-term trend, and consumers have finally got used to more comfortable outfits, non-sportswear professionals should still make sure that they continue steadily to offer some athleisure options to match consumers' adjusted lifestyles."