Fabletics is putting its performance spin on a classic: blue jeans.
The digitally native, El Segundo, Calif.-based activewear company debuts a denim collection on Tuesday, following a development process that leaned heavily on member feedback.
“We did a lot of market research, and we actually found that over 30 percent of our 3 million VIPs, so over a million of our customers, said if Fabletics launched amazing quality and fashionable denim, they would buy it from us,” said Adam Goldenberg, cofounder and chief executive officer. “So, we felt like we have a built-in audience that is very excited about this category. And then we also believe we may be able to bring new consumers into the Fabletics family, where they try the brand first through denim.”
A first look at Fabletics denim.
Courtesy of Fabletics
The launch is the latest example of Fabletics expanding into new categories based on customer demand. Originally founded as a women’s activewear brand, the company introduced menswear in 2020 (a category that now accounts for roughly 30 percent of the business), followed by scrubs in 2023, which Goldenberg noted has grown into a $75 million business and is expected to surpass $100 million this year.
“We have a great track record of category expansion, and that category expansion has largely been driven by listening to our customers,” he said.
Denim has been in development for more than two years, with members participating in surveys, wear tests and in-person sessions to help shape the assortment. The process included extensive fit testing across the full size range, with each size tested on real bodies, Goldenberg said.
“It helps us understand what styles we’re going to come to market with,” said Kelli Dugan, chief merchandising and design officer. “And what was important from a fabric and fit standpoint for them.”
The debut collection includes 11 styles, six for women and five for men, spanning skinny, straight, wide-leg and baggy silhouettes, as well as denim trucker jackets and a women’s miniskirt, Dugan said. Prices range from $79.95 to $119.95 for Fabletics VIP members and $109.95 to $174.95 for nonmembers.
The line features three fabrications: ultra stretch, modern stretch and rigid denim, with modern stretch — offering about 25 percent stretch — making up the majority of styles. Washes range from light and dark indigo to black, cream and a leopard print, the latter nodding to the brand’s bold activewear prints.
The denim, produced by a manufacturer with facilities in Pakistan and Guatemala, was developed with consultant Benjamin Talley Smith, who refined the collection’s technical details.
“He’s known as the guru of denim,” Dugan said. “He works with the wash houses in L.A. to really perfect wash, and then he brings in his own experts in terms of fit technicians as well.”
A first look at Fabletics denim.
Courtesy of Fabletics
The line will initially launch online at fabletics.com and in 17 of Fabletics’ 114 U.S. stores, chosen for their larger footprints and ability to gather early consumer feedback.
Longer term, the company sees denim as a meaningful pillar of growth.
“We would not launch it, and we won’t launch new categories, if we don’t think they’re at least a $100 million idea,” Goldenberg said. “It’s going to take us a moment to prove to the market and prove to consumers how amazing this product is. But we certainly think this is a very large category, and certainly a bigger than $100 million opportunity for Fabletics on an annual basis.”
