Athleta, the wellness-focused apparel brand under the GAP group, is B Corp brand that integrates yoga imagery into its shops in an environmentally friendly way. Athleta is a performance and lifestyle workout apparel brand on a mission to empower a community of active women and girls. Athleta's versatile clothing is designed by women for women with the vision of inclusivity at its core. Founded in 1998, Athleta integrates technical and performance features throughout its collection to support women in all of their lifestyles, from yoga and training to travel and sleep. In 2016, the company launched Athleta Girl which reflected its signature performance styles for the next generation. Headquartered in San Francisco, CA and a Gap Inc. brand, Athleta apparel is available at its more than 200 retail shops in the U.S. and is also available via its online catalogue at Athleta.com.
Having earned B Corp status in 2018, Athleta, along with Banana Republic, joins The U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol® and Textile Exchange's 2025 sustainable cotton challenge. The decision is part of Gap's integrated sustainability strategy and is intended to help the company meet its commitment to using only 100% sustainably sourced cotton by 2025. This commitment extends to the Old Navy, Gap, Banana Republic and Athleta brands.
Through the Trust Protocol, Gap will receive third-party verified data on the sustainability practices used on US cotton farms, enabling the company to demonstrate that the cotton in its supply chain is grown responsibly. In addition, Athleta is turning plastic bottles into performance fabrics. By 2030 it has set a target of 80% of its products to be made from recycled, sustainable cotton or organic material.
Athleta has positioned itself as the group's fastest-growing brand in the last year, and Gap plans to double in size to 2 billion turnover by 2023.
Athleta Launches AthletaWell
On the digital platform of AthletaWell, users can access both digital and physical events, which they can sign up for through the platform and participate in races, classes, and running teams, among others. The app will also feature exclusive content from Obé Fitness, a platform dedicated to training that can be done from homes, such as yoga or cardio.
Athleta joins other sports giants that already have their own content platforms. During the pandemic, Nike made the premium version of its Nike Training Club home-based training app free to all users, which by April 2020 had more than tripled the number of workouts. The platform serves as a social network where users can access content such as meditation guides or advice from dieticians, as well as exchange experiences and concerns about wellbeing.