On the debate of whether the Fitness-Fashion hybrid is here to stay, every Londoner’s favourite department store Selfridges has conclusively weighed in with a bold and far-reaching statement. A few weeks back, I attended the opening of what is now Selfridges’ largest single department, the 37,000 square foot Body Studio, accompanied by their almost unmissable campaign. It’s more than just a retail tour-de-force, it’s a significant declaration of their vision of the future. That the activewear category is the only area of apparel enjoying any sort of material growth right now (outside of Hermes handbags) is well known; there’s such huge latent demand that this studio is solely dedicated to all things wellbeing, enabling you to browse 4,500 items from c.100 brands (including some personal favourites like Monreal London, Adidas, Y3, Stella McCartney, Varley as well as lingerie, sleepwear, swim & beachwear, a Daniel Galvin salon and a healthy cafe by the Hemsley sisters) against the backdrop of a British high street that’s suffering due to online competition. Selfridges are bucking that structural dynamic and are taking activewear firmly into the domain of the ‘luxury experience’ for which there’s simply no internet alternative; you have to see this to believe it 🙂 Click more to get my full view, along with the ‘look’ images we shot in and around the launch! (more…)