So it turns out that high fashion activewear can co-exist. Audrey Reilly of lululemon led the design team and worked intimately with Roksanda and team on this superb blend of high fashion and athleisure. The lululemon x Roksanda collection that will be available online and in select lululemon stores (including in LA, 3rd St Promenade + Beverly Hills) and luxury retailers this October.
The lululemon x Roksanda 17-piece fall capsule is a blend of Roksanda Ilincic’s bold, feminine aesthetic street-to-sweat wear design. Roksanda’s signature unexpected color combinations and sculptural design are fused with lululemon’s most iconic technical innovative silhouettes. Each piece will be made to mix and layer, will have made-to-move fits, packable features, reflective accents to complement every element of a woman’s lifestyle.
Five Minutes With lululemon Head Designer Audrey Reilly
How did this collaboration come together?
We collaborate with designers and brands that share our values and vision. I have known of Roksanda for several years now and have always been inspired by how she designs for the modern woman beyond the female form & truly understands proportion as well as how to create feminine silhouettes such as the dress. She lives the ‘sweatlife’ of mixing run, yoga, and Pilates.
What is the inspiration behind the line? Do you think high fashion and athleisure can co-exist?
lululemon has been on an organic progression of continuing to find ways to blend sport and fashion, creating a truly versatile product that meets our guests’ changing needs and on-the-go lifestyles. However, we have a function led, beauty infused design philosophy. We were excited to pair our technical apparel and fabrics with a high-fashion design for styles that could both be seen on the runway as well as function in a studio. This truly is the blend of how women are dressing & what we stand for in our design ethos.
What is your favorite piece in the collection?
The Inner Expanse Infinity Coat is a standout piece from the fall capsule. In addition, it is endlessly customizable and is versatile as a coat, puffer jacket, or light trench. However, I also love the face forward define jacket. This is a key piece that explodes and blends both our DNA to create a new icon.
What was it like working with the team at Roksanda?
We began the collection approximately two years ago. This was a fully collaborative effort — we started thinking about what inspires us, combined with sorting through our favorite designs from both the Roksanda and lululemon brands, and other archived styles. Furthermore, we sought outside inspiration from unique places: the texture and billowing of sleeping bags, vintage designs, antique shopping, etc. These elements are exclusive pieces with a Roksanda-spin on lululemon signatures like leggings/tights, and bras.
Was it important to you that the collection stayed true to Lululemon’s classic comfortability and design?
Yes. However, the capsule blends sport and fashion, and every piece complements each other. However, we can pair active tights along with a ready-to-wear dress. Each piece combines both Roksanda’s craftmanship with lululemon’s signature athleticism—sweat-ready fabrics, made-to-move fits, packable features, reflective accents—infuses the collection with all-weather functionality for yoga, run, train, and transitional wear. All the styles, features and needs for every moving woman. Undoubtedly made for the woman we called the Urban Nomad.
Do you hope to collaborate more in the future?
The collection will launch two capsules. The first capsule from the ROKSANDA x lululemon collection drops in October 2019. In addition, the second will drop in January 2020. Undoubtedly, we love this collection and would love to work with Roksanda again. It was a pleasure!
