High Sport, founded by Los Angeles, California-based Alissa Zachary, is ready for its next moment and will soon expand into new retailers, including Net-a-porter.
The label launched in 2021 and took off quickly. It’s known primarily for its stretchy, slightly flared pants that fit like a sports outfit, but are intended for a kind of day-night look that’s just as comfortable at home as it is at a gathering or dinner. Offered in two inseam lengths, the style is sold in a rainbow of color combinations.
A favorite of fashion editors, gallery owners and others, those $860 stretch pants have become High Sport’s lunch ticket and are routinely sold out at stores like Amaree’s and Moda Operandi, proving not only the lack of price resistance, but also a gap that Zachary is addressing in The Market.
Zachary, formerly the director of merchandising for The Row and a consultant to Khaite, The Line and Rosetta Getty, said her brand is “for the sport of life. I think the life of a modern woman is so busy and demanding that women all over the world want to put something on in the morning and look like a million bucks,” she said.
But it’s not just neutral colors that are selling out. “Black certainly sells a ton, but it’s interesting to me to see how people gravitate towards color. Fashion, for example, orange was immediately sold out, bright blue was immediately sold out. It’s crazy to think about it because you don’t look around and see people wearing orange pants, but they were stolen,” Zachary said.
Images are intrinsic to the success of High Sport. Rather than photographing his colorful designs in a flashy way, he has collaborated with creative minds known for their nuanced taste, like the photographer duo Tanya and Zhenya Posternak.
“I have the feeling that fashion is polarized between a hyper-minimal style or something that is over-designed. I am not hyper embellished nor do I like sexy cutouts nor do I like Scandinavian minimalist style. I am somewhere in the middle. It’s all about classic shapes in interesting colors with interesting construction details,” said Zachary.
The designer was adamant when asked about its price, which she says is the result of high-quality yarns and artisan mills. “We are creating a luxury product, beautifully made but functional. We are doing something with longevity, and I lean towards the best materials: French, Italian and Scottish yarn with everything Made in Italy,” she said.
Now, Zachary is looking towards growth. His spring collection includes new styles of sweaters, outerwear, skirts and dresses. The label will launch on Net-a-porter in January and will stick to the primarily wholesale model of it for the foreseeable future. Zachary eventually plans to launch his own eCommerce site as well.
“Up to this point, we have had incredible organic growth: we have doubled season after season with extraordinary sales. This is all by word of mouth. Right now it’s about actively growing the product line to capitalize on this momentum,” he said.
Source: news.google.com