Lululemon has collaborated with Swiss textile and embroidery house Forster Rohner—and the results are spectacular. Known for innovation and craftsmanship, the family enterprise typically works with couture houses like Dior and Chanel. The collection marks the first time FR has linked up with an athletic brand. We asked Lulu creative director, Lee Holman, for more details on this unique partnership. —Rachel Johnston
How is fitness wear being influenced by fashion right now?
Lululemon has always been at the forefront of craftsmanship and femininity in active-wear, creating technical product that is beautiful, functional, and innovative. Working together with athletes we have a focused creative direction as we know our guest expects us to deliver relevant pieces that are on trend without compromising the functional solves that enable them to live a life they love.
How is this collection different from what we might typically expect from a line?
The collection was inspired by the desire to introduce new elevated craft techniques into the athletic arena. Our design team explored handcrafted techniques from the world of couture and reengineered the applications of embroidery into our mesh fabrications for a new way to express feminine artwork into a yoga capsule.
What was the inspiration/goal for the digital prints? What about the embroidery?
We were inspired from the current trend of embellished artwork. To create this collection, we collaborated with one of the oldest embroidery houses in Europe, Forster Rohner, to individual embroider each unique artwork and then we digitally printed these artworks onto our Nulux fabrications.
Did the embroider affect the technical aspect of the fabric?
The embroidery went through rigorous testing to enable the embroidery application to perform in sweaty environments.
Has the trend in wearing fitness wear affected this collection? By that, do you think contemporary fashion’s appeal to athletic wear is seen in this collection? Or is it the opposite, where the fitness pieces were elevated?
The print and embellishments direction for this collection is the key driver for the collaboration and it draws inspiration from the current trends from contemporary fashion shows in Europe.
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