Alicia Keys Partners With Athleta on New Collection

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Athleta has formed a “holistic partnership” with singer/songwriter Alicia Keys to further their mutual commitment to women’s well-being.

The partnership kicks off on International Women’s Day, which is March 8, with the launch of The Athleta x Alicia Keys collection. Athleta, a division of Gap Inc., said the collection will have exclusive products co-created and co-designed by Keys, who worked alongside Athleta’s all-female design team. Among the items, which will be available in sizes 00-3X on athleta.com and at all Athleta retail locations, will be Keys’ favorite piece — a pink jumpsuit. It’s a new look for the brand.

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An Athleta spokeswoman said overall, the collection will include novelty through color and that more product information will be shared closer to the March 8 launch. The campaign for the collaboration is themed, “Within You.”

As part of the partnership, Keys is joining Athleta’s “Power of She Fund” grant program as a mentor and adviser. The fund works toward empowering women and girls through ongoing grant programs, supporting nonprofit organizations and volunteering.

Athleta indicated that Keys will work with the company “to connect meaningfully” with women through community conversations in AthletaWell, the brand’s digital community.

“Alicia will help expand Athleta’s community resources by sharing her personal growth and well-being journey over her 20-year career through storytelling and community conversations,” Athleta indicated in a statement Tuesday.

“I was drawn to Athleta because we both want to encourage women to discover, accept and own their power,” said Keys in a statement. “We’re all about the uniqueness of women, body positivity and creating a lifestyle that showcases our immeasurable power within. It’s time to thrive — not just to survive — and my hope is that these offerings are another outlet for you to amplify your personal power, your possibility, and feel comfortable in your own skin.”

Keys is well-known for her humanitarian work, philanthropy and activism, aside from her acclaimed musical accomplishments. According to Wikipedia, she was awarded Ambassador of Conscience by Amnesty International; she co-founded and serves as the global ambassador of the nonprofit Keep a Child Alive organization, which fights agains HIV/AIDS. Keys, 41, is a classically trained pianist and 15-time Grammy Award winner. She started composing songs at age 12 and had her first record deal at the age of 15. She also has a beauty line, Keys Soulcare, in a partnership with E.l.f. Beauty.

Athleta has a track record of partnering with famous females who reflect and support women’s empowerment, diversity and inclusivity, among them U.S. Olympians Simone Biles and Allyson Felix.

The partnership with Keys is another step supporting Athleta’s strategy to generate $2 billion in net sales by 2023. In the fiscal year ended Jan. 30, 2021, Athleta generated $1.41 billion in sales.

Gap Inc. acquired Athleta in 2008 for $150 million in cash. At the time, Athleta generated about $100 million in volume.

Another tactic involves steadily bolstering its inclusive sizing approach and by the end of 2022, Athleta expects to offer extended sizes across all of the categories it sells.

“As we work toward our goal of reaching $2B in net sales in 2023, part of our growth strategy is constantly listening to our customers’ needs,” said Mary Beth Laughton, president and chief executive officer of Athleta, in a statement. “With the recent launch of our digital community, AthletaWell, we created a space where women can connect with each other around topics of well-being, health and purpose. With a values-driven partnership like this one with Alicia, we are ideally positioned to continue to meet our customer’s needs in the well-being space and support her across all aspects of her life.”

A sneak peek at The Athleta x Alicia Keys collection. - Credit: Freelancer
A sneak peek at The Athleta x Alicia Keys collection. - Credit: Freelancer

Freelancer

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