Simone Biles, a 7x Olympic medalist and the most-decorated gymnast in history, wants to give the next generation the ultimate gift: confidence. To do so, she’s expanding on her work with Athleta to offer up a limited line of clothing for girls aged 6-12. This is her first-ever signature line of activewear.
In April 2021, Biles announced she would sponsor her and that a collaborative clothing collection was in the works. This debut is through Athleta Girl, a sister brand launched in 2016.
When ESSENCE asked Biles about why we needed to support young Black girls within the specified age range, she said, “I think they’re at a really vulnerable time when they don’t believe in themselves. So, they need us to believe in them so that it gives them that one up. It makes them believe in themselves even more.”
With diet culture, the inherently comparative nature of social media, and everyday stresses that can come with school, extracurricular activities and life in general, young girls of today can have it tough. A silver lining is that the generations that proceed them no longer just accept these ways of life. The awareness has them pushing for palpable change.
Biles, 25, acknowledges that this isn’t every girl’s experience, but she still wants to be the best spotter she can. “It could be a really exciting time or it could be a really scary time, so that’s why we do what we do, she said. “That’s why we work with these kids and for these girls.”
The new collection comes with 16 pieces, including: a longline bra, shorts, a reversable vest, sweatshirts, scrunchies, a tunic, and a duffle bag. The fabric of the clothes are a mix of matte and shine and prices range from $15 to $95.
“Since its launch in 2016, we’ve strategically scaled Athleta Girl into a powerhouse category for our brand and a key contributor to our plan to reach $2B in net sales by 2023,” said Mary Beth Laughton, president and chief executive officer of Athleta, in a press release. “Simone is the perfect partner for us to help empower girls to find their inner strength in school, sports, and play and we’re thrilled to launch this Athleta Girl collection with her.”
ESSENCE talked with Simone Biles about the details of her clothing with Athleta and her most earnest desire for young girls. Read our conversation below.
Simone Biles: The apparel line, which launches April 19th, is really to inspire young girls all across the globe. It’s super exciting because we incorporated some love notes, which are hidden mantras that I picked that I’ve used throughout my career. Not only that, but we made the pieces very versatile so that you can go from the gym to school and from school to gym.
We also picked colors that were some of my favorites. We picked those colors and we picked some cool strokes with the fabrics.
