It’s a worldwide infatuation for the practice that promises zenith and tones the body. “Yoga“ derived from Sanskrit word for unite. And what could be better then the longest day in the whole year, June the 21st, to unite at the same time at the four corner of the world the largest number of followers of this practice?
In France this community is estimated gather around 2 million people. In order to evaluate this infatuation, a tour around Facebook is quite sufficient: studios, events and teachers; everyone has their page. French website Yogateau, which makes an inventory of yoga studios and festivals, witnessed Yoga events in Paris double up science 2011.
You can find virtually every style over the mat: giant session in Beaugrenelle, free Sunday in front of the Eiffel tower, gathering at the Tokio palace, or at a hipster bar Le Perchoir or even coupled Yoga sessions with cooking classes, dance lesions, surf… In New York there are even Yoga and networking clubs. In the US, Yoga generates business revenue estimated in several billions of dollars, community members reaches 20,4 million people.
Following the outburst of studios along came luxury sportswear labels; leggings collections, sports bras and meditation shawls. Galeries Lafayette dedicates 400 square meters of space to fashion sports collections alone. Here labels like Yoga Searcher display their collection A timeless style, modern and uncluttered, seamless clothes for an optimum comfort, materials from natural sources such as Bamboo, Cotton, Wool, Linen, antiperspirant treatment, vegetable dies and natural pigments.
Yoga Searcher produces its collection in Europe (Portugal), all workshops are certified ECO-TEX and materials are tested without harmful environmental substances. “Not only Yogiwear has to be comfortable and resistant to the wash but it also has to reflect the values of sustainable development” insists a Parisian ethical and stylish sportswear store owner.
Growing consumer concerns to reflect lifestyle when purchasing has grasped sportswear and label success depends on real time information about their production process and just in time solutions for their stores. A matter to meditate on. Om…