The activewear category has been in the spotlight since comedian Shane Gillis’ “Saturday Night Live” monologue went viral for mocking and criticizing women’s gym looks.
For Gymshark, the timing for the rollout of the U.K. activewear brand’s first celebrity partnership with Megan Thee Stallion couldn’t have been better.
“We announced Megan as our first VIP athlete just days after the SNL monologue and the internet immediately connected the dots,” said Noel Mack, chief brand officer at Gymshark, in an interview. “Brands sometimes make the mistake of trying too hard to insert themselves into culture. The best moments tend to happen when you know who you are, understand your community and have the confidence to participate when something genuinely relevant comes along. If you search ‘Shane’ on our website, you’ll find our scrunch shorts. We don’t take ourselves too seriously, but we take our community incredibly seriously.”
Mack said Megan embodies what Gymshark stands for — “strong, confident, ambitious and unapologetically herself.” But more than that, pointing to her “genuine” relationship with fitness, the company internally cites her as its muse.
“She trains, she puts the work in and she’s spoken openly about what the gym means to her, both physically and mentally. We didn’t want a talent who would just put on our clothes for a campaign. We wanted someone who actually lives and breathes gym culture. For her, performance and style go hand in hand. She doesn’t see why she should have to compromise on either.”
Moreover, given that the American rapper sits at the intersection of music, fashion, fitness and pop culture, Gymshark is also introducing its brand to a wider audience.
“We’re not trying to make Gymshark something it’s not. We’re taking what we’ve always stood for — the gym — and introducing it to more people through someone who genuinely shares that passion.”
To that end, Gymshark has seen particular growth within its women’s category globally — especially for shorts. The brand shared that it sold more than 2 million pairs of shorts so far this year. Overall, women’s shorts unit sales have grown four times (an increase of 8 percent vs. 2 percent) as fast as leggings for the brand this year.
From August to September, women’s shorts sales in the U.S. were also up 32 percent year-over-year. Pink shorts sales were also up 392 percent year-over-year, which Gymshark noted showcases the consumer demand for statement hues from the brand.
“We’re seeing a fundamental shift in women’s relationship with fitness,” said Mack. “Strength training has become part of mainstream culture, and women are increasingly embracing the gym as a space to build confidence, express themselves and feel strong. What’s particularly interesting is that we’re seeing women gravitate towards products that are unapologetically designed to celebrate their physiques.”
The brand is also expanding to studio training with the launch of SoftSense, an 11-piece activewear collection available in six colorways and designed for Pilates. The collection was teased in the initial announcement for Gymshark’s campaign with Megan, who wore the SoftSense shorts in Impact Red.
Looking ahead, Mack sees the U.S. as a major opportunity for the brand with a continued investment in its reach. Last year, the brand opened a four-floor, 13,000-square-foot flagship in the heart of New York’s NoHo neighborhood, its first U.S. store. The company is also opening a Gymshark gym in Miami.
“We’re still at the beginning of what Gymshark can become. Retail and omnichannel are massive opportunities for Gymshark. Women’s [apparel] is another particularly exciting part of our future. Partnerships like Megan allow us to connect with consumers through culture, reaching audiences who might not have considered Gymshark before. We’ve built this business predominantly online and there’s something incredibly powerful about bringing the brand to life physically. Our stores aren’t just somewhere to buy a pair of leggings. They’re places where our community can come together, experience the brand and feel part of something bigger.”