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46 sportswear international india I ending april 2013 I facts I feature BY SHWETA JAIN ART KONOVALOV, SHUTTERSTOCK.COM
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Page 1: feature - sportswear

46 sportswear international india I ending april 2013 I facts I feature

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>Inspired by anything that spells adventure, sportswear trends this year will see a meteoric shift.

Youth’s growing interest in F1, football, tennis or even wrestling and shooting, has contributed largely to rising sales of sportswear brands in India. With the upcoming MotoGP the market will only expand further. This year the category is all about experimenting − with multiple fabrics, their blends, never-done-before cuts and finally it’s about anything that relates to youth.

Passion and impact Global web reach has made internationally held tournaments accessible to legions of sports fans across India. Moreover, we are hosting a series of international sporting events. In addition to this, sports promotions, training and infrastructure too, have been developing tremendously in the past few years. The recent accolades that Indian sports stars won in various prestigious tournaments has boosted awareness about sportswear in the country. Now with a growth of adventure sports in India there is an increased need of comfortable and hi-tech apparel and shoes. Worthy of note is the trend of using sportswear as casualwear, which has expanded the consumer base for the concerned brands. To add to this, the increasing penetration of the internet in India is fuelling the online sales of this category.

LEFT: A CAR RUNNING AT DAKAR RALLY.BELOW: A PARTICIPANT AT MOTO GP 2012

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Off ramps Fashion ramps were abuzz with sportswear last year, where top designers gave a glimpse of their version for SS 2013. Dakar Rally − an offroad racing event held in the South American countries inspired New York’s Rag & Bone designers to showcase biker jackets, trousers and lot of layered looks. Bright neons were juxtaposed with white. Other designers also did acid colours, for instance, green by Preen and orange by DFV.Designer Derek Lam catapulted Madras checks to stardom by making jersey dresses, and used cellophane to put together futuristic dresses. Typical bright hues that mark sportswear were also seen here − orange, yellow and reds to name a few. But to make this highly rock-chic line, his inspiration was art world − an exhibition of 1970s paintings by portraitist Barkley L. Hendricks.For the Milan Fashion Week, the thought of men’s trunks at Versace’s collection came from the sport of wrestling. Similarly, Dolce and Gabbana presented high-waist shorts worn with belts. Edgy and sharp is how Alexander Wang’s sportswear could be described and so will be Isabel Marant’s paisley T-shirts and short sweatshirts and metallic detailing. J Crew and Creatures of the Wind embellished their shirts with sequins and gems for daywear sporty chic. DSquared2 projected its elements of sportswear by the way of biker boots and jackets for men and tight T-shirts for women.One of the popular styles for this season will be retro. Both striped apparel and cropped trousers, ending at ankles will come up as big trends. Be it tops or bottoms, jackets or skirts; horizontal or vertical stripes as shown by designers Michael Kors, Marc Jacobs or cut-out stripes by Alexander Wang would be big too. Similarly, racerback tops with multi-spaghetti straps or with layered necks would be in too. Although so far we have not seen much of prints especially animal or tropical taking a prominent place in sportswear much, this season it will. The same print would continue from top to bottom in a dress or co-ordinates. Fashion weeks also predicted plenty of geometric, boxy or angular cuts and silhouette. Oversized jackets at Jil Sander, rectangular sportswear pieces at Maxmara or geometric cuts at Fendi are a few examples.

International trends Internationally sportswear retailers are introducing some stimulating technologies and designs for their 2013 collections. Some of them might hit India, while most may not do yet. Graphics, inscriptions, sorbet colours, fringe trims, checks and geometric prints and grunge styles will be key trends in sports footwear.

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: SHORTS AT DOLCE & GABBANA; SPORT-CHIC LINE FROM DSQUARED2, A MODEL IN DEREK LAM, AND ADIDAS’ SLVR IN SORBET ORANGE

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According to fashion forecasting expert WGSN, futuristic and 3D styles, metallic surfaces, bomber jackets in bold colours, asymmetric and layered dresses and knitted apparel are key words for sportswear this year. Talk of technology and you think of Nike. It is going to launch new version of its Dunk Woven sneakers, which essentially comprises of weaving treatment on its heel, sidepanels and toe box. In last winter it introduced limited edition leggings in some markets, with embroidered Christmas-winter motifs, made of Dri-FIT. adidas SLVR SS’13 line is about bold prints and tailored activewear mostly inspired by martial arts. White, navy and orange hues mark the collection. Under its label adidas Originals it is compiling a delicious mix of ankle-high sneakers in multi-chromatic palette with a hint of animal prints. PUMA’s wedge sneaker line for this year would be all about colour blocking − which means a lot of shocking pinks, tangerines, leaf greens and yellows can be expected. Materials such as suede, mesh or patent leather would be used prominently. Tommy Hilfiger goes nautical with its endless stripes in colours taken from the brand’s logo − white, red and blue.

New lines and promotions Indian sportswear retailers are going a step ahead − not only in terms of various manufacturing innovations but also in collaborating with or organising related events. The aim is to create awareness among its target buyers − the youth. As we are already seeing in the market, result is manifesting in the form of − better products and informed consumer. Golfwear and equipment brand Callaway will be offering a technologically-infused collection this year. Their green marked Dry collection has unique moisture wicking properties that would keep a wearer dry for a long duration. It has got a rating of UPF 15+ that protects from harmful UV rays from the Sun and anti-microbial treatment that keeps garments fresh. The blue marked Wind collection offers wind and water resistance along with quick dry properties. The orange marked Warm collection makes outfit that are breathable and insulating at the same time. In terms of style, polos, shorts, skirts and trousers have a mix of stripes and bright colour story of red, green, purple and orange.If the gigantic Dakar Rally inspired Rag & Bone, GAS Jeans is already working on its MotoGP 2013 line. Barbara Grotto, Head of Communications, GAS Jeans, informs, “GAS Honda Collection is a fashion-orientated re-interpretation of the Honda Racing world. It is designed by Aldo Drudi of Cattolica, who has worked with many leading names in motorcycling world. Repsol Honda Team and Honda HRC staff replica

CLOCKWISE FROM RIGHT: BIKER-

INSPIRED OUTFIT AT RAG & BONE,

WRESTLING-INSPIRED TRUNKS AT VERSACE,

STRIPED SWIMSUIT AND NAUTICAL

COLLECTION BY TOMMY HILFIGER

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apparel is part of GAS HONDA line produced and distributed exclusively by us through official Honda dealers in Europe, clothing stores in more than 30 countries around the world.” Repsol Honda riders and team, as well as the HRC staff, will wear the new line during the entire 2013 championship season. The line includes high performance jackets, fleeces, shorts, polo shirts and pants. Cuts and details on garments are strongly inspired by racing suits and bright tints; and aggressive, appealing graphics evoke the idea of race circuits.Keeping with the brand’s philosophy of connecting to youth, Liberty’s new line of footwear comes in bright neon dyes and white soles. “Today, many shoe companies are inspired by the latest tiny foot sensor technology for running fits. This technology helps in calculating distance and pace, and communicates with iPod or iPhone, even if one is running on a treadmill. Going forward, Liberty, in like manner, is looking at introducing gadget shoes,” informs Anupam Bansal, Executive Director, Liberty Group.Lotto Sport Italia, which has been associated with sports personalities like Luca Toni, Joan Capdevila and Agnieszka Radwanska Marion Bartoli; and sponsors several events such as marathons, cyclothons and college fests, “does it with the objective of connecting the brand to the target buyers,” says Ashish Pareek, Assistant Manager, Marketing, Lotto, India. Inspired from tennis balls seen in ATP courts, Lotto’s new line of products would primarily have lizard green undertones. Footwear for men will be available in colours such as lime green and royal blue and for women in pink, blue, sea green and purple respectively. In terms of technology, their Skyride footwear will be sold in coming seasons as well. Pareek says, “One of the main reasons for us to launch Skyride was demand for light-weight shoes by our customers and we got tremendous response from them. Some of the successful experiments done by us are innovative knitting structures, new treatments such as bio-wash to improve aesthetic quality of the products, et cetera.”Nike’s 2013 collection offers Flyknit Lunar One+ shoe. The footwear has an ability to provide precision fit helping it to adapt to foot in motion. Support and structure are knitted right into the material, which helps eliminate seams, weight and areas of friction and keep the shoe lightweight. Images of astronauts and their near-weightless walking on the moon inspires its cushioning. Strategically-placed durable rubber inserts in bottomless carrier deliver maximum impact protection to key points on the heel and forefoot. Launched in 2011 south India based sportswear brand Moxi uses technologies that ensure moisture management, odour control and UV

INTERNATIONAL SPORT STARS: CLOCKWISE FROM RIGHT: FOOTBALLER CRISTIANO RONALDO, OLYMPIC SHOOTER

ABHINAV BINDRA, WORLD BOXING CHAMPION MC MARY KOM, OLYMPIC SPRINTER USAIN BOLT, FOOTBALLER

LIONEL MESSI, TENNIS ACE SERENA WILLIAMS, BADMINTON CHAMPION SAINA NEHWAL AND BATSMAN

SACHIN TENDULKAR

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protection for making their apparel. AL Muthuraman, Moxi Sports, says, “We have identified a few sports such as running and cycling for which we would exclusively develop garments in 2013. These will have stuff like lower GSM tee for running or compression shorts for cycling. New British Motors Heritage line by sportswear brand Proline may not have many hi-tech features however it connects to automobile enthusiasts for its vintage designs and logos. This collection has exclusive graphic tees for youngsters.Adventure and outdoor apparel brand Woodland associated with popular music fest Sunburn Goa 2012. “The purpose was to link it with youth and ask them to take shared responsibility. At the festival Woodland built a pro-planet booth and made youth aware of our pro-planet initiatives and connected them to our Leave No Trace campaign. Our booth was constructed with help of locally sourced waste plastic bottles, scrap metal, recycled wooden crates, recycled wood, VOC free paint, et cetera,” informs Amol Dhillon, Vice President, Strategy & Planning, Woodland. Its next collection is designed for performance activities and made use of innovative technologies like solar energy in manufacturing. Their biodegradable jackets are laminated with a membrane making them environment friendly. And with their solar jackets a person can charge their gadgets anytime. Just like other brands, Woodland would offer sun protection, moisture-wicking and quick-drying apparel for coming season. Its coming up with a new technology for footwear manufacturing that uses vegetable tanned leather. It is a type of processed leather made by using ingredients found in vegetable matter, tree bark, and other such sources. It will also have recycled cotton lining. This recycled cotton and jute uses natural fertilisers that contain no harmful chemicals. It will also bring another range of shoes with soles made of recycled rubber.Not only niche sportswear brands are trying to attract budding consumers of India but the music channel and a huge brand in itself, MTV recently re-launched its accessories for the Indian market. Inspired by contemporary art the collection has graphic prints which is the USP of the range. It has got various bags such as backpacks and duffels in bright hues of green, orange, red, blue, et cetera.As young Indian consumer becomes more involved in internationally famous sports or adventure events, it will continue to have a positive impact on fashion business of the region. The advent of numerous international brands in India in the last five years signals the takeoff.

FROM TOP LEFT: BAG FROM MTV, A MODEL WEARING GAS-HONDA APPAREL,

PRO-PLANET BOOTH BY WOODLAND AT SUNBURN, NIKE FLYKNIT LUNAR ONE+

AND FORCE SHOES FROM LIBERTY


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