When you really want to discover something new on the internets, it's best to fall into the rabbit hole of twitter feeds, #influencer galleries of swag, and those Japanese sites that mess with your Chrome for days, without being concerned that it's a complete waste of time. You might turn up with some cool new accessories, be the first to fall upon the next big fitness trend (props to Complex UK!), or find the best Runner's World cover of all time.
I stumbled upon OYSHO a while ago while searching for athletic-inspired swimwear, which is pretty much what all of my rabbit hole searches boil down to in the end. After filling up a dream shopping cart with items to total about 150 British pounds (big spender...I know) I realized that in order receive the pastel tees and oversized hoodies of my dreams I had to be a resident of the UK.
As a New Yorker who is spoiled rotten with choices from brick-and-mortar and digital retailers, this is both an amazing and terrible occurrence. Venture to Paragon Sports, the Upper East Side or Soho and you'll find a revolving door of brands launching their goods to the American public for the first time. Despite all of these choices, few brands have yet to make it to the Big Apple and OYSHO leads the list.
In the years since my initial letdown, the Spanish retailer has grown to offer 556 stores in over 40 countries around the world. In addition to their loungewear and separates staples, their activewear is broken down into two categories for Fall 2014, Gymwear Mountain and Gymwear Collection. The feminine silhouettes, subtle prints and sophisticated hues give their athletic models a bad-ass-federal-agent-dipped-in-mermaid-goo type of appeal. You know the kind. It's Wang but wearable. It's also brutal that those in the US can't try out this fitness jumpsuit or add this ski top to our Christmas lists. What about Lunar Print Shorts with sneakers to match? This is soooo "you can't sit with us" of them.
http://www.oysho.com/6/static2/images/videos/GymWinter.mp4
There is hope as most athletic brands eventually become available to the US market. "Cold Weather Surfing" never sounded appealing to me until UK brand finisterre came along with their fisherman sweaters that looked so cozy they are dead sexy. Swedish brand COS opened their first location in LA this month following a successful (as in I-bought-5-pieces-at-the-launch-successful) digital launch this spring and British retailer Sweaty Betty is gaining traction since opening their first US flagship last fall.
There is a ton of competition in the market, but with the "athleisure" trend continuing to grow this might be the perfect time to open up a digital platform for US fans. Yo Oysho, think about it. ;)
[oysho]
Calvy Click is the Editor-in-Chief of Sneaker Report. When she isn’t writing about performance footwear and apparel, you can find her running around Manhattan to Rick Ross anthems or hitting the tennis court. Keep up if you can on Instagram or Twitter.
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