When Fabletics first launched in the summer of 2013, it seemed at first glance like just another activewear brand. Sure, there was a unique subscription model and firm celebrity ties but beyond that, Fabletics appeared to be yet another name in an increasingly crowded space. But in reality, the brand was on the precipice of something no other activewear line had really accomplished: making truly inclusive activewear, designed for everybody and every body.
“Fabletics was born out of the desire to bridge ‘fun’ with high-quality activewear products that are affordable, comfortable, and ultimately, empower everyone to look and feel their best,” explains cofounder Ginger Ressler. In the early days of the brand, this meant a heavy focus on versatility—the ability to wear workout clothes beyond the gym—which 10 years ago, was a pretty novel concept. “I can go from a workout to a school pickup, run errands to a meeting, all while feeling confident in the same outfit, and with the layering options we provide in our collections,” Ressler says. “We all live busy lives, and our intention has always been to be an inclusive solution to provide products that take our members throughout their entire day.”
The Fabletics team also spotted another trend that would soon take over the fashion, beauty, and lifestyle industries: celebrity partnerships. “Partnering with well-known public figures is part of Fabletics’ brand DNA,” Ressler notes. “When we first launched Fabletics with myself, my husband Don Ressler, and Adam Goldenberg, we were one of the first athleticwear companies to partner with a celebrity figure—that wasn’t a professional athlete—to raise awareness of our inclusive product offerings.” The celebrity in question was of course Kate Hudson, whose name quickly became synonymous with the brand, thanks to her frequent commercials and advertisements for the line. The actress’s ties to the brand were so deep, in fact, that many consumers mistakenly believed she was Fabletics’ founder (in actuality, she owns 20 percent).
What set the brand apart the most in its early days, however, was arguably its membership model, which was created with the aim of fostering both technology and community. “When we first created the brand, there was no existing brand in the fashion/e-commerce space that offered a valuable digital membership program, so we created our own platform with the goal of building community and making accessible, high-quality athleticwear for that community,” Ressler says.
All three of these tenants—product versatility, celebrity partnerships, and membership—have remained core to Fabletics over the last decade. But during that time, the brand has also taken each one of these principles into new realms, expanding its customer base, reach, and subsequently, its success as a result. “Over the years, Fabletics has ventured into new categories, opened 95+ brick-and-mortar stores across the globe and provided an assortment beyond what’s traditionally expected in the activewear category,” Ressler explains.
Fabletics has taken its original focus on inclusivity to heart, ensuring its size range spans from XXS to 4X, with regular, short, and tall options available. But inclusivity has also meant expansions into all-new categories, reaching subsets of customers who were previously unfamiliar with the brand. “Our expansion into new categories, like Scrubs, Men’s, Lounge, Sleep, Any-Wear, and Swim, is rooted in a deep understanding of how we can engage with an entirely new customer that perhaps we didn’t appeal to before,” Ressler says. Each of these expansions has come only after a significant amount of time and research, ensuring they are authetic to the Fabletics brand and in line with customer wants and needs. “With Fabletics Scrubs, which launched in 2022, we wanted to do our homework and make it a genuine expansion that organically fit into our brand,” the cofounder explains. “We took the time to research over several years and received direct feedback from over 6,500+ medical community professionals on what was most important about their daily wear.” It’s these developments, Ressler believes, that have over time allowed Fabletics to become much more than just “your average traditional activewear brand,” setting it apart more and more in an increasingly saturated market.
Celebrity partnerships have also proven helpful in these expansions. In recent years, Fabletics has collaborated with Vanessa Hudgens, Maddie Ziegler, Khloe Kardashian, and others to create capsule collections that incorporate new styles and designs. But celebs have also had a heavy hand in larger expansions. In 2020, the brand partnered with comedian and actor Kevin Hart to launch Fabletics Men, a whole new vertical for the previously womenswear-only brand. In early 2022, it doubled down on celebrity ties by partnering with Lizzo to launch a separate, size-inclusive shapewear brand Yitty under the Fabletics umbrella. “Since our first celebrity partnership, we’ve taken the time and effort to align ourselves with people who share the same passion that we do for fitness, fashion, and fun,” Ressler says. “All our partners authentically live the Fabletics lifestyle, and champion our brand.”
Over the last 10 years, Fabletics has evolved its membership model as well. With millions of members across the world, the brand has built a sizable community, becoming the largest digitally-native activewear brand on the market. But Fabletics membership now means much more than just access to affordable and inclusive products. It also means discounts, perks, and the free use of the brand’s app. “Our unique, flexible, and innovative VIP membership model, along with our value-add member benefits like our workout app, Fabletics FIT, allow us to be authentically engaged with our valuable members,” Ressler explains. “We are always evolving and looking for ways to bring more benefits to our members, whether that be opening a retail space in a new market or adding new categories to our increasingly versatile range of products. We pride ourselves on our past and remain steadfast in supporting and providing what our community wants in the future.”
Fabletics immediately broke down barriers and set new trends in activewear when it launched in 2013, and its growth in the years since has made the brand a true unicorn in the space. Yet, it’s the future that Ressler, her cofounders, and the entire Fabletics community are most excited about. “For now, our focus is steadfast on continuing to do what we do best—create premium products that our loyal members continue to love,” she says. “So, whether that’s launching new collaborations with celebrity partners, rolling out exciting brand partnerships, delving into new categories, or continuing to expand our retailer presence, we will always strive to push the boundaries on developing the very best products possible and providing our members with product that will help them look and feel good in their daily lives!”