Old Navy, seeking to grab a greater share of the hotly contested activewear market, has launched a collection rooted in a new fabrication that’s been under development for three years.
The StudioSmooth collection was introduced Tuesday online and in all Old Navy stores, with 10 women’s styles including leggings, bras, tops, a skort, biker shorts, athletic dress and full zips. Prices range from $24.99 to $59.99.
The StudioSmooth fabric is a blend of 82 percent nylon and 18 percent spandex, providing what Old Navy executives describe as “a buttery-soft feel with light compression.” They maintain that StudioSmooth is comparable to more expensive leggings in the category, but offered at a fraction of the price.
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“The Old Navy StudioSmooth collection marks an important step forward in our expansion within the active category — three years of development, testing and refinement by our talented team brought to our customer at an exceptional value,” said Horacio Barbeito, president and chief executive officer of Old Navy, in a statement provided to WWD.
“As a top-five player in the $70 billion active market, Old Navy is well positioned as a go-to destination for the whole family,” Barbeito added. “Our customers want more from us in activewear, and we’re committed to delivering in new and innovative ways. This launch is just the beginning.”
In an interview with WWD last June, Barbeito said Old Navy has a strategy “to give more room to categories that have been growing faster than the average. Active is an example.”
Old Navy is the largest division of Gap Inc., having generated $2.2 billion in sales during the third quarter of 2024, and $8.2 billion in sales for all of 2023. Old Navy is on a course to achieve $10 billion in annual volume, though there’s still a ways to go. Gap Inc. also operates the Gap, Banana Republic and Athleta brands.
StudioSmooth was crafted by Old Navy fabric experts, designers and “real-world” wear testers — a team led by Sarah Holme, head of design and product development at Old Navy.
In the following email Q&A, Holme discusses what went into the development of StudioSmooth, its attributes and Old Navy’s activewear opportunity.
WWD: Why did it take so long to develop the new fabric? Is three years an unusual stretch of time for fabric development?
Sarah Holme: StudioSmooth went through many iterations to meet our high standards for quality and performance, with each round requiring development and wear testing. Typically, a new product takes around six months to a year to develop. With StudioSmooth, we required a longer timeline given the specificity of the fabric we set out to create. Three years later, we’ve designed a line that puts our best foot forward and offers customers the high quality they are looking for at an accessible price point we’re proud of.
WWD: What are the key characteristics of StudioSmooth and how does it compare to other active products at Old Navy?
S.H.: StudioSmooth offers a light compression that is meant to have a weightless feel on the body. Made with 82 percent nylon and 18 percent spandex, it’s designed to feel incredibly comfortable while wearing it, but it’s still a high performance fabric. In comparison, PowerSoft offers medium compression that really holds you in for a supportive fit, made with 77 percent polyester and 23 percent spandex. PowerSoft is designed for high-impact workouts, while StudioSmooth is designed specifically for lower impact workouts and everyday activities.
WWD: Does StudioSmooth represent a higher price point for Old Navy?
S.H.: No. Part of the reason we spent three years designing StudioSmooth is our commitment to accessibility. A comparable legging from another brand is sold at more than double the price of StudioSmooth, but it was important to offer that same high quality to our customer for an affordable price. We didn’t sacrifice any details — like elevated merrow stitch or a drop-in back phone pocket — in line with much more expensive competitors. To make it possible, we leveraged long-standing relationships with our vendors, combined with our scale, to strike this special balance of quality, style and value.
WWD: What are the top-priced and lowest-priced StudioSmooth items?
S.H.: The athletic dress costs $59.99, and the racerback sports bra costs $24.99.
WWD: Describe how the product was wear tested.
S.H.: The StudioSmooth product was wear tested for things like stretch, recovery, washing and pilling to ensure it withstands all the activities that our customer is doing. We had a lot of fun with the process, including hosting a yoga class in our headquarters led by our senior designer who is also a registered yoga instructor. The response was amazing.
WWD: Is there a difference between a “real-world” wear tester, used in the testing process, and a wear tester?
S.H.: We wear test with team members and customers. This gives us a diverse set of feedback from people who understand garment construction and fabric, and customers who need the product to work seamlessly into their everyday lives.
WWD: What are some key StudioSmooth styles for spring?
S.H.: The high-waisted StudioSmooth 7/8 leggings are a personal favorite and I think they will quickly become a customer favorite. The color range is expansive, with six shades that are perfect for spring. The entire line is designed to be mixed and matched, including staple silhouettes like leggings as well as more trend-forward styles like the light support StudioSmooth crop top. Our customer always loves an active skort or dress, so we’ve included both in the lineup.
WWD: What has been selling best in activewear at Old Navy recently?
S.H.: Our PowerSoft franchise is one of our bestselling activewear lines. We recently launched a new iteration that people are loving: PowerSoft Sculpt. These offer compression in a peachy-smooth, sweat-wicking fabric, with a contoured waistband that holds you in for extra support.
WWD: What was the last important fabric innovation of Old Navy?
S.H.: We are constantly looking to evolve our franchises across the business. PowerSoft has been our most successful performance legging, and it’s become a staple as the number-one bestseller in the category. StudioSmooth builds on that success, with a new experience for our customer.
WWD: What’s new in the activewear category at Old Navy, style-wise?
S.H.: We always want to offer a good mix of classic pieces with more trend-forward silhouettes like the StudioSmooth cinched crop top, and the jacket — in fresh spring colors.
WWD: In activewear, what makes Old Navy different from the competition?
S.H.: Old Navy delivers high quality activewear at a great value. The sensation and the experience of wearing this collection is what we are most proud of. My team always talks about the confidence of feeling good in what you wear — to me, that’s luxury.