Athleisure wear brand Adanola’s chief executive talks to Retail Week about the journey of the brand, what makes it stand out from the rest and the future of activewear
When Hyrum Cook began Adanola in 2015, the word “athleisure” was only just starting to get popular. The Covid-19 pandemic gave the sector a new meaning with a swathe of athleisure wear brands reaching new heights of success.
From being Adanola’s only employee for five years to expecting £75m in sales this year, Cook has grown the brand exponentially in the last few years. Here, he speaks to Retail Week about the journey so far, entering the world of physical retail and where he thinks athleisure wear is headed.
What’s the story behind Adanola?
“The brand itself started in 2015 and the reason why it exists is because I recognised that leggings were becoming a fashion piece. It was the same time when the word athleisure was born. In my view, there wasn’t really any cool activewear that women could wear outside the gym. At that time, everything was about patterns, florals and colours. There wasn’t anything neutral, fashionable and simple that was cool and women could wear throughout the day.
“So that’s why we started Adanola by making products that look good, and feel good, but are also affordable. At the time, there was Lululemon and Sweaty Betty and I found that you didn’t really need to charge over £100 for a pair of leggings. So, we came in at £40 for our leggings and we’ve never really increased our leggings prices since 2015.”
What is the biggest factor behind Adanola’s growth?
“A good team. I hired my first person in 2020 in July. I’ve just been lucky to get the right team in place. But at the end of the day, it all comes down to the brand. We’ve been able to attract good talent because we’ve got a good, strong brand and a passionate following. We’re loved by a lot of influencers and celebrities and that’s really helped us grow.”
What makes Adanola stand out from other athleisure brands out there?
“It’s good quality and a low price point; £40 for a pair of leggings isn’t expensive. When you receive them, you feel like you’re getting good value and that is why a lot of our customers return. That’s something that we’re really proud of – to be able to say we are passionate about good quality.
“But at the same time, we also partner with some amazing influencers, celebrities and ambassadors that have very high fashion and come from a high fashion background and being able to put Adanola amongst them is quite unique and that really helps us stand out as well.”
Where do you think the athleisure wear and activewear sector is headed after the pandemic?
“I think it’s only going to get stronger because there’s so many brands out there that are growing in crazy amounts. Activewear brands like Alo Yoga being one of them. Vuori in America is valued at $4bn and they weren’t really around a few years ago. I believe it’s going to get stronger and stronger.”
Do you have plans to expand into physical retail?
“I think one of our biggest objectives is growing and giving back to our community. I feel like having stores is a really good way to bring our community together in different territories. We will definitely open a store in London, eventually, and then definitely open stores in the USA but maybe not for the next 12 to 24 months. But it’s definitely on our radar.”
What is your strategy for growth in the next 12 months?
“We’re going to grow the team. We’re going to hire senior people and build a c-suite team. We need to build a foundation now and get the right people in place to be able to grow to £250m and then £500m in sales. That’s what we’ll be building towards this next year.”
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