Apparel December 2019 | Página 32

FEATURE Hitting New Highs With designers, brands, and celebrities vouching for it all over the world, Samir Alam charts and analyses the rising demand for athleisure today. Perhaps, it would be a surprise for many to learn that one of the fastest growing fashion segments globally is athleisure. The global athleisure market was estimated to be over US$300 billion in 2018. Furthermore, this market is expected to continue growing at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of over six per cent from 2019 to 2026 to reach about US$455 billion. The reasons behind this sustained interest in this segment can be traced back by nearly five decades, coinciding with numerous evolutions that relate closely to the apparel and fashion industries in general. In this 30 I APPAREL I December 2019