Lauren McDavid launches apparel brand Sports Club Atelier. The brand aims to elevate sportswear into wearable memorabilia with limited edition collectibles of the finest quality and design aesthetic.

With the global athleisure market size expected to reach around USD 1,069.84 billion by 2034, per precedence Research, it’s a good time to invest in sports goods. In recent news, interior designer Lauren McDavid, the wife of Canadian professional ice hockey centre and captain of Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League Connor McDavid, has launched apparel brand ‘Sports Club Atelier.’ The brand aims to elevate sportswear into wearable memorabilia with limited edition collectibles of the finest quality and design aesthetic.

The debut collection of Edmonton Oilers X Lauren McDavid ⎯ The Legacy Line ⎯ is inspired by collegiate sports culture. This limited edition collection has a selection of timeless, collectible, quality pieces that capture the spirit of student-athletes. Each piece is designed with vintage-inspired colours and style evoking the spirit of campus life ⎯ with sophistication. Hero products include the Navy Varsity Jacket, Navy Sporting Wear Corset, Navy Campus Crest Crewneck Sweatshirt and Navy Fleece Sport Half-Zip Pullover. 

In a YouTube post McDavid reveals: “All the jackets are really our hero pieces, just because they’re such high quality, you can really feel the weight to them. They have beautiful quilting on the inside, real leather, and just every detail is very craftsman and just really a lot of thought is put into it. It’s one of those pieces that you can kind of carry down generation to generation. It will last and be timeless forever.”

Sports Club Atelier’s debut collection is available to pre-order exclusively with Ice District Authentics, the home of Edmonton Oilers and Oil Kings merchandise.

The global sportswear industry is poised for growth

Activewear is stronger than ever in the post- pandemic era, where athleisure took the world by storm and is one of the most prominent illustrations of the sport-fashion overlap. Per Precedence Research, “The global athleisure market size was valued at USD 394.24 billion in 2023 and is expected to reach around USD 1,069.84 billion by 2034, expanding at a CAGR of 9.5 per cent from 2024 to 2034.”

When World Federation of the Sporting Goods Industry and McKinsey unveiled their fourth annual sporting goods industry report,“Sporting Goods 2024 – Time to Move”, it was cited that sporting goods companies continue to face macroeconomic headwinds, winner-takes-all competition, and rising levels of physical inactivity around the world. However, despite these challenges, executives say they are optimistic.

Based on in-depth research, consumer surveys, and interviews with some of the industry’s leading decision makers, the report highlights the challenges facing sporting goods companies and the trends likely to shape the big decisions this year.

“The report highlights an improving industry outlook,” says Emma Zwiebler, WFSGI Interim CEO. “Despite a challenging economic and business landscape, the sporting goods industry demonstrated its resilience in 2023, with shifting preferences and generational opportunities paving the way for sustained growth as we head into 2024.” 

In a hyper-competitive market, only a minority of sporting goods companies manage to consistently grow revenues and expand margins. This elite group are well placed to maintain their momentum over the coming year, but many others face an uncertain future. 

“While the year ahead will be marked by uncertainty, it will also offer opportunities,” says Alexander Thiel, a partner at McKinsey & Company. “As the global population continues to expand, and more people adopt healthier and more active lifestyles, brands, retailers, and manufacturers have chances to grow. But this potential should be contrasted with continuing political and economic unpredictability, which is playing out in almost every region globally.”