MANY new sportswear brands for women are emerging and most of them are founded by women themselves, who saw several shortcomings in current offerings and wanted to address them.
Most of the founders are businesswomen, models and even celebrities. One may be forgiven for asking if these brands are just cashing in on the althleisure trend, along with the popularity of yoga, pilates and spinning classes.
But the founders of Butter, a Singaporean startup with an impressive revenue just a few months after being launched, possess an impressive sporting and exercise experience that made creating their own brand an unquestionable progression in their careers.
Olivia Yiong used to be a F45 trainer and Tiffany Chng was a professional athlete who played for Singapore in the 2010 Touch Football World Cup.
The two met while working at ClassPass (known then as GuavaPass), a fitness membership app and they, at different times, had also worked in Lululemon stores — the brand known for its coveted yoga pants.
It seems that both their lives are, at every point, related to fitness and exercise, including the clothes they wear for sport.
MARKET GAP
Yiong and Chng say they decided to start Butter after noticing a gap in the market for chic and affordable activewear that is cut and made for Asian women.
Asian women are shorter and smaller on average. Hence, a pair of leggings by a Western brand, for instance, may be too big or long for them.
"The essence of Butter is effortless, chic and suitable for an Asian fit," they say in an email interview.
For Yiong, sportswear in today's setting is more than the clothes women wear when they work out.
"It has evolved to become athleisure, where it crosses the line between fashion and sportswear. Butter aims to fill that gap by providing athleisure clothes with a fashionable twist in cuts that cater to an Asian fit.
"Our pieces are chic and timeless, and can be worn from barre to bar," Chng continues.
The duo say they have developed a better understanding of different women's bodies and how they feel wearing activewear while working out.
"Every woman has a preference for fit, which can also vary with different activities. At the start of our business, we wanted to design items that would suit all body types for a wide range of activities. But over time, we've learnt that this isn't possible.
"We are now more focused on what problems we are trying to solve with each piece and we cater to that specific function," Chng says.
FOR DIFFERENT WORKOUTS
Through Butter's two proprietary BaseCore and BaseFlex fabrics, Yiong and Chng say the brand caters to low- and high-intensity activities, from yoga and pilates to running and high-intensity interval training (HIIT).
"BaseCore is sweat-wicking and compressive, making it suitable for high-intensity sports, such as HIIT and spin classes.
"BaseFlex's fabric, meanwhile, has a more brushed, buttery-soft feel with a four-way stretch. It is more suitable for low-intensity exercises like yoga and pilates," Yiong says.
The brand's bestseller is the Piper Bra. "Our customers love it due to its versatility as both a sports bra — due to its maximum coverage and medium compression — and a crop top with its chic bralette design."
Yiong and Chng say at the moment, Butter does not have a modest sportswear range, but as the label continues to grow and expand its product range, it's definitely an area that both of them are keen to explore.
FINDING THEIR NICHE
The duo are aware of the surge in women-founded sportswear labels in the market, and they say the demand for such products grew during the Covid-19 pandemic.
"Many people were working out at home and paying more attention to their health, hence the surge in the sales of women's sports brands," Yiong says.
"Like other segments, it is highly likely that there will be a saturation of brands in the future, but we believe it is important to carve a niche and value proposition for your brand to ensure that you're able to connect and reach out to your target audience," Chng says.
"One thing we understand now is people love new clothes... sportswear included."
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