P.E Nation: The Australian Brand Shaping Activewear
You only need to look around to see the ongoing impact of athleisure. No longer are gym leggings confined to changing rooms, rather this is a style that’s gained a category all of its own and is very much celebrated on the streets. After all, there’s no better way to let people know you’ve just done a hot yoga class than with your outfit.
And why not? If style, fashion and design play a part in all other aspects of your life then there’s no reason to fall short when it comes to working out – and if you’ve got an outfit that will fit in with your busy lifestyle and take you from brunch to exercise class, all the better.
Despite having only been around since 2015, P.E Nation has gained a noteworthy following, allowing the Sydney-based brand to sit firmly at the forefront of urban street-inspired activewear. You may attribute this to founder Pip Edwards, who as the Sydney Morning Herald described, has “successfully transitioned from fashionable social fixture to fully-fledged designer” (she’s amassed a cool 129K followers on Instagram) and has gained invaluable experience from fellow Australian brands Ksubi and sass & bide since starting her career.
You may attribute this to her dynamic relationship with co-founder Claire Tregoning, whose own experience as Senior Designer at sass & bide is invaluable, and whose ideas and outlooks on clothing mirror that of Edwards’. Together, the pair have created an activewear brand that slots into their lifestyles (active mothers, fitness fiends and sportswear aficionados), taking inspiration from the runways, art and music.
With high-performance at its core, the brand has morphed alongside its following to take into account industry trends including retro-inspired logos and bright, bold colourways and prints. In Edwards’ own words;
P.E Nation has a very strong confident tomboy aesthetic. It has a nostalgic feel to it, in a retro kind of way, yet it is still modern with its current street influence. You can wear it from the gym and then on to the street and get on with your day, without feeling like you’re in gym gear.
It’s a formula that’s working. What began with simple, fun and affordable activewear has spawned to offer a culturally inspired ready-to-wear range to sit alongside your necessary fitness capsule wardrobe. Yet despite P.E Nation’s immense growth the brand manages to remain entirely unique, leaving us wondering what’s next for their iconic collections? But for now, we’re pretty keen on this seasons zebra print feature.
