EXCLUSIVE: New Balance and Bandier Team Up for Activewear Collaboration
New Balance and Bandier are the latest team to join in the activewear games.
The duo will release the “Move Her World” capsule collaboration on Aug. 5, a venture that includes leggings, bodysuits, tank tops, fleece hoodie, joggers, trenchcoats, sneakers and more, alongside a new campaign starring DJ Millie.
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“A lot of this clothing, you can wear it to work out in, or you can wear it as lifestyle clothing,” Jennifer Bandier, founder and chief brand officer of Bandier, told WWD. “Off duty, on duty, you can do an intense workout, or you can pretend like you’re going to work out and not work out. But you don’t have to sacrifice style for performance.”
Kimball Netto, general manager of women’s apparel at New Balance, agreed, adding that, “We’re always really excited about working with partners who push the boundaries between lifestyle and performance. And Bandier is a great example of that.”
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Both brands were equally enamored with DJ Millie as the face of the campaign.
“She loves sneakers; she wears lifestyle, activewear clothing,” Bandier said. “She mixes and matches. She’s got great style. And she seems like the perfect person to represent the fearless female.”
Likewise, Netto said one of New Balance’s objective as a brand is to “make women feel great while they’re wearing different styles. And we really believe this collection can build their confidence. And DJ Millie certainly exemplifies what it means to stay true to yourself.”
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Los Angeles-based DJ Millie, who also works as a model, describes the New Balance x Bandier collaboration as “crazy, sexy, cool.”
“My biggest goal is to really make people dance, do what their body wants to do, move however you want,” the DJ says in the campaign video.
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Meanwhile, the activewear market remains flooded with options as brands continue to compete for their share of the pie. This doesn’t faze New Balance, Netto said. In fact, she pointed out that the pandemic has actually caused more people to reevaluate their health and daily comfort levels.
“I don’t think [an active lifestyle] is going away by any means,” she said. “We always want to create products that help motivate women to be their best selves and improve their healthy lifestyle. So we always believe that consumers are looking for a product to help them do that.”
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The 12-piece inaugural “Move Her World” capsule drops next month, followed by a spring 2022 collection in April and a fall collection scheduled for August 2022.
Consumers can shop the collection at newbalance.com, bandier.com, select New Balance stores and all six Bandier stores. The collection will also be available at Shopbop and Intermix. Prices range from $58 to $298, with both styles of sneakers priced at $130 a pair. Apparel sizes come in XS to XL, or 2XL in select styles.
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