Sarah Staudinger Launches Staud Sport Line

Sarah Staudinger’s Los Angeles contemporary brand Staud is growing — and flexing — with a new category.

Launching Jan. 30, Staud Sport is a fashion twist on everyday sportswear that aims to rise above typical athleisure.

Designed for workouts and beyond, Staudinger created the collection to go from the gym to errands to out-to-dinners, while being comfy and chic. And it’s a natural progression from her previous forays into the market through collaborations with New Balance and Keds, and her own limited-edition pickleball capsule collection, spurred by her personal love of the sport.

The collection had been at the back of her mind for a number of years now, Staudinger told WWD via email. “The gap in the female-facing athleisure market inspired us to create something different: pieces that are accessible, adaptable, and effortlessly integrated into an everyday wardrobe, making dressing for movement feel intuitive rather than redundant,” she said of Staud Sport, which will release two seasonal collections this year, before increasing to four.

“Right now, the market is flooded with activewear that prioritizes competition, stats, and run clubs — an approach that doesn’t resonate with our customers. Our customers are looking for chic, functional pieces that seamlessly transition into their daily lives. Staud Sport fits right into that — it’s about creating a collection that’s active, but with a sophisticated, everyday twist,” she said, emphasizing that it’s for the in-between moments in life. “For our customer: hydrating is sport, WFH is sport, motherhood is sport and we want them to look good in every capacity.”

The versatile pieces eschew heavy logos, but are crafted with performance fabrics and capabilities, and can be layered with pieces from the mainline collection. Standouts include short anoraks with sleeves that can be zipped on and off; oversize hair scrunchies that can double as mini bags to stow essentials like keys and jewelry; packable neoprene sneaker ballet flats and a full length, full-skirted performance gown.

Staudinger has been reaching for the Alba sport ballet shoe herself. “As part of our campaign, we styled it both bare-legged with a Crevasse minidress as well as with tube socks and our Pulse leggings. The Sport Harlow bag has been updated in technical nylon and still carries our signature moon buckle perfectly blending our design codes,” she said.

There are also plenty of second-skin layers in ivory, chocolate brown or black with asymmetric zipper details, including a flirty short dresses, cropped T-shirts, bralettes and Capri leggings, technical nylon miniskirts and wide-leg pants.

The collection, $75 to $395, will be available Jan. 30 on the Staud website and in Staud stores.

Founded in 2015 by Staudinger and artistic director George Augusto on the idea of accessible California luxury with a European twist, the Staud main line ranges in price from $149 to $1,295. The brand has six permanent physical stores, two seasonal stores, and wholesale partners including Shopbop, Fwrd and all the major department stores. The largest minority investor is Chris Burch, of Burch Creative Capital.

The brand’s chief executive officer and creative director, Staudinger was last in the headlines in December when she was revealed to be the buyer of Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy’s collection at Sotheby’s. Like many in L.A., she’s been deeply affected by the wildfires that continue to rage this month.

“I grew up in the Palisades, and my mom was still living there during the fires, unfortunately losing her home. It’s completely heartbreaking to not only lose the entire neighborhood physically, but also emotional landmarks like memories from a series of all your first memories,” she said.

“Seeing how we’ve all come together over the last weeks renewed my faith in the Los Angeles community with so many individuals and brands rallying to provide both immediate relief and long-term support,” she continued, adding that her brand has focused monetary donations on the local fire departments, community groups, and organizations supporting animal welfare, food, and clothing assistance. In the coming months, Staud will be launching special pieces that will directly benefit the Labelle Foundation, LAFD, and other initiatives aimed at supporting the recovery of the city.