Yoga style stretching into fashion world

DSN Retailing Today, Oct 10, 2005

yoga isn't just for the gym anymore--it's also entering the world of fashion. More and more, women wear their yoga gear everywhere--mixing and matching elements to wear for working out or just hanging out.

"The biggest luxury we have is time," said Shelley Marks, president of the Marika Group, which produces two different yoga lines. "Women need apparel that is multi-functional, and that's how we design our clothing. Our camisoles, for example, she can wear to work under a suit, then also to the gym to work out in."

Marika Group's Balance collection, which sells in Nordstrom and Federated department stores for price points ranging from $30 to $60, combines elements of comfort and style. The anemone tank top, spa roll-down crop pant and the fleur rib tank top, for example, all bring together the feminine, floral look popular for spring and mix it with a cotton spandex blend.

"We're always looking for the latest trends, both in yoga and in fashion," Marks said.

Adidas' Stella McCartney collection, which launched in spring 2005 in select Nordstrom and Bloomingdale's stores, also combines elements of sport and style, according to Kristen Wise, an adidas spokesperson.

"The line is a hybrid of fashion and function," Wise said." Where adidas is known for its innovative designs in the sports market, and Stella for her novel approach to women's fashion, the marriage between the two seemed to be perfect--apparel, footwear and accessories with an aesthetic and functional approach in mind."

Some yoga apparel has become so in vogue that it no longer does double duty for women with hectic lifestyles. In 1999, Puma launched Nuala, a yoga clothing line sponsored by model Christy Turlington designed to be worn in and out of the studio. But today, the line has added some items decidedly not worn for yoga: silk camisoles, tweed cropped pants and twill mini skirts, for example.

"The collection has evolved into a fashion-lifestyle brand," Turlington notes on the Web site. "For Nuala. the yoga connection is made through empowering women to feel confident and put together with minimal time and effort."

Nuala has paved the way for other yoga companies to follow suit. Lululemon, a Vancouver-based yoga company, recently designed a collection called Oqoqo, whose core pieces include fashionable drapes and wrap-around skirts made from organic and recycled man-made fibers.

"Our core lululemon collection is designed more function it has moisture and quick-drying materials--though it is still very versatile," said Kerry Brown, community relations, for lululemon. "Oqoqo was designed to be a little more fashionable."

The popularity of yoga has even inspired non-yoga apparel companies, such as Michael Stars, to incorporate the style into its clothing. For holiday 2005, Michael Stars will being a line of T-shirts with Tibetan borders for $42 at Nordstrom company also sells a kaftan shirt for $64.

"It's inspired by the current ethnic trend in the marketplace toward yoga and meditation," said Shelly Chaney, marketing director for the company. "The art on the T-shirts is very ornate, almost bohemian-vintage looking."