Luxury by association: Affordable brands are reaching affluent consumers through sports products
Hi, and welcome to Glossy’s Weekly Recap, where Glossy editor-in-chief Jill Manoff breaks down the industry conversation that ruled the week and highlights five of the latest must-read Glossy stories. Sign up here to get Glossy’s daily, in-depth coverage on the businesses of beauty and fashion in your inbox every weekday morning.
This week, I spoke with Allegra Benini, head of marketing at Moon Boot, the 55-year-old snow boots brand that’s set to ramp up expansion this year. She had some interesting things to say about the brand’s positioning in the market and the reason its products are perceived as high-end:?
“We finally launched a Tmall store [in China] this year, and we were put under the Luxury Pavilion which is normally for luxury brands,” she said. “Moon Boot is not luxury; our shoes are quite accessible — in Italy, we start at €180. But we have this luxury perception across markets. Maybe that’s because people wearing Moon Boot are likely going skiing in the mountains and that’s not really for everyone.”
Fashion brands have long been vocal about leveraging collaborations to reach new audiences — whether Balenciaga’s shoppers will embrace Under Armour is yet to be determined. In addition, they’ve popularly entered certain retailers to achieve luxury brand alignment. Now, increasingly —?seemingly taking cues from Moon Boot’s playbook — brands are reaching affluent shoppers through sports apparel.?
Take the many brands that have released tennis collections since the start of spring 2024: On, Pacsun, Eugenia Kim, Kate Spade and Sporty & Rich are among the labels that have launched dedicated styles. According to the Tennis Industry Association, “relative to the U.S. population overall, the U.S. tennis population leans significantly younger and affluent,” with 47% of tennis players in the U.S. making $100,000 or more per year.??
Meanwhile, in 2022, it was reported that 45% of skiers have an average household income of more than $100,000. Skiwear company Perfect Moment, which IPO’d early this year, defined itself as a luxury brand catering to skiers “from St. Moritz to St. Barts.”
Luxury shoppers’ spending habits have recently proven less resilient than in years past, but the market remains strong.?
Catch up on the week’s 5 most-read beauty and fashion stories below.
According to Maria Due?as Jacobs, former accessories director at Elle and now founder of Super Smalls, which started as a jewelry brand for kids, kids' beauty is a vehicle for "pretend play." On its website, Super Smalls is marketed as "things to unleash the imagination, ignite a sense of wonder and prompt hours of play."
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The 6-year-old affordable skin-care brand -- no single product is priced higher than $20 -- is available in all doors at Ulta Beauty, Walmart and CVS. It quickly gained traction for its straightforward approach to clinical skin solutions for stubborn skin problems. According to IRI data, in 2022, Peach Slices' hero product, Acne Spot Dots, was the No. 1 selling blemish solution on the market.
In May, the fashion industry saw significant developments, including the closure of The Vampire’s Wife due to challenging economic conditions. This follows the struggles of other U.K. brands including Ted Baker.?
The textured hair-care market is on the rise, and the professional hair-care brand Redken is the latest to release a collection specifically for coils and curls.
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9 个月These brands need to balance that high-end vibe with the sporty appeal. You can’t just slap a logo on a polo and call it a day. It’s crazy how many brands think that’s enough. It’s gotta resonate with both the luxury crowd and the athletic folks, and it’s got to do it without compromising either side. Especially since luxury shoppers expect exclusivity and top-notch quality, while athletic wear enthusiasts look for performance and comfort. And with tennis being such a young, affluent sport in the U.S., they’re aiming right at the sweet spot. Like, with the recent surge in popularity thanks to social media influencers and celebrities flaunting their tennis fits, brands are capitalizing on this trend to capture both markets seamlessly. I would totally rock some designer tennis gear if it meant looking fly and feeling comfortable on the court, but tennis ain’t my thing and I value my ankles lol ??