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Introducing Sporty & Rich our latest loungewear offering delivering laid-back outfits that strike the right balance between cosy and considered. We caught up with founder and all-round cool-girl Emily Oberg on how athleisure has moved away from performance and into lifestyle, her 1990s inspiration and how health clubs are the new nightclubs…
The 26 year old has quite the resume, formerly of Complex Magazine and KITH Women, she has also dabbled in interior design and art sourcing. “This is the New York mentality and it really pushed me to do so many different things” Emily explains. One such side project was the birthplace of Sporty & Rich, “it started as an Instagram moodboard account, and then I turned it into a print magazine.” Emily adds “I never had the intention to turn it into a real brand but it’s how it naturally progressed.”
Anyone who has had the former Princess of Wales on their loungewear moodboard since the beginning of lockdown is in luck, as these Diana-esque oversized sweatshirts in tones of mochi or mint greens, pastel pinks and creamsicle orange are straight out of the 1990s. Emily notes her inspiration from “old sporty graphics, sports clubs and what elegant women in the 1990s wore to the gym, there’s so much fun inspiration in the past and what’s interesting to me is how people interpret it differently today.” Cleverly Sporty & Rich have clicked into a laid-back aesthetic that has always been classy and comfy, nostalgic of elite sports club attire at home in the Hamptons or Wimbledon.
Our Instagram feeds have become awash with cosy co-ords not exactly the usual fashion-girl getups, and Sporty & Rich are just the thing for converting those not previously a fan of sporty styles such as Elsa Hosk, Irina Skayk and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley with their undeniably chic pieces. What makes it all the more relevant today is the styling, Emily suggests teaming a long sleeve shirt or sweatshirt “over your swimsuit on chiller days on the beach, on a boat when it's too windy, or over your sports bra and biker shorts while on a jog.”
Emily has cultivated a huge following on her Instagram for her slogan-clad designs but also her wellbeing phrases, one such is health clubs are the new nightclubs, Emily elaborates that even before COVID-19 “being healthy had definitely taken over party and nightlife culture in terms of relevancy. Today, people are more impressed by how early you go to bed, or how many cleanses you’ve done, how often you go to the gym, or how healthy you eat. In the mid 2000s, it was the complete opposite. For example, you hardly see photos of celebrities at a nightclub anymore. Instead, you see them on their way to yoga or drinking a green juice.”
As we move deeper into 2020 it’s becoming more and more apparent that timeless styles, comfy fits and classic colourways are coming to the fore of the contemporary fashion landscape. The impact of this pandemic can be clearly seen in our lifestyles, wellbeing and wardrobes. Emily says “now we have so many everyday stressors, so much to do, so little time, it’s an ongoing cycle of being busy and not living in the moment. This is what makes me nostalgic for the past and inspires me to look to vintage sportswear, for its timelessness.”
Add Sporty & Rich to your radar for a few comfortable items for your telecommuting wardrobe.
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