• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

'The demographic dividend of the last 40 years is ending': J.P. Morgan says the world is running out of the two things that kept interest rates down

2

Jensen Huang made his $172 billion fortune on AI chips. His family's $75 million gift to Vanderbilt argues art decides what technology is for

3

The $39 trillion U.S. national debt isn’t as high as Japan’s and Singapore’s relative to economy size—and yet it's still worse somehow

1

'The demographic dividend of the last 40 years is ending': J.P. Morgan says the world is running out of the two things that kept interest rates down

2

Jensen Huang made his $172 billion fortune on AI chips. His family's $75 million gift to Vanderbilt argues art decides what technology is for

3

The $39 trillion U.S. national debt isn’t as high as Japan’s and Singapore’s relative to economy size—and yet it's still worse somehow
RetailUnder Armour

Why Under Armour Just Hired A High-End Designer

By
John Kell
John Kell
Contributing Writer and author of CIO Intelligence
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
John Kell
John Kell
Contributing Writer and author of CIO Intelligence
Down Arrow Button Icon
June 2, 2016, 12:34 PM ET
Tim Coppens - Runway - New York Fashion Week Men's Fall/Winter 2016
NEW YORK, NY - FEBRUARY 03: Designer Tim Coppens walks the runway finale at Tim Coppens fashion show during the New York Fashion Week Men's Fall/Winter 2016 at Skylight at Clarkson Sq on February 3, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images)Slaven Vlasic Getty Images
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Under Armour is striking a new, fashionable stride this fall.

The Baltimore-based athletic gear maker has tapped fashion designer Tim Coppens to serve as executive creative director of a new collection called UAS, which stands for Under Armour Sportswear. Coppens will oversee the creative vision of the new line, which launches this fall. The plan – according to the early prepared statements unveiled Thursday – is to launch a line that goes “beyond the comforts of casual active wear and the trusted functionality of innovative athletic wear.”

“There is a desire for something new; a new twist on an American sportswear brand that allows the ambitious generation to go longer, faster and harder with intuitive product and a modern style,” Coppens said in a statement. “Under Armour is in a unique position to take on the task of defining this space with an authentic east coast sports and innovation brand footprint that is armed to enter the lifestyle market.”

The debut of this new collection by Under Armour (UA) comes at an interesting time for athletic brands, which have carved out a popular subcategory within the broader apparel world, helping boost sales at Nike (NKE), Adidas (ADDYY) and Lululemon (LULU).

Athletic gear is increasingly worn in more casual settings, a trend known as “athleisure.” Activewear apparel jumped 16% last year, with sales totaling $43.6 billion according to research firm The NPD Group. Without that strong increase in sales, non-activewear U.S. apparel sales dropped 2% to $171 billion in 2015.

Milwaukee Brewers v Washington Nationals
Bryce Harper of the Washington Nationals wears Under Armour shoes.Photo by G Fiume — Getty Images
Photo by G Fiume — Getty Images

The popularity of athleisure has also led to a slew of startups, fashion lines by celebrities including Beyoncé, attention from fast fashion purveyors like H&M, and new debuts from high-end fashion designers including Tory Burch. All of that creates greater competition in the space – and gives brands like Under Armour incentive to think about what’s next to stay ahead of the curve.

Amid that increased competition, it makes sense for Under Armour to launch a new line that will diversify the line beyond the traditional world of athletic t-shirts and basketball shoes. Chief Executive Kevin Plank earlier this year told analysts that Under Armour considers itself “extremely fortunate to be in such a dynamic industry, one where our consumer is in a constant state of change, from new ways to think about your fitness, new fashion trends or new athlete icons coming onto the scene.”

Launched 20 years ago, Under Armour now is a $4 billion business. Even ten years ago, Under Armour only generated $281 million in revenue, with 93% of revenue coming from apparel. Today, apparel is still the company’s bread-and-butter – representing 71% of revenue, though sales in other areas are growing. Under Armour is selling more gear to women (after starting out as a men’s-focused line), sells more basketball and golf gear, and also has invested heavily in apps and activity tracking gear.

Under Armour’s stock had been a darling on Wall Street until recently, when worries about the damage done by The Sports Authority’s bankruptcy and some key executive changes have led to some softness for the stock.

The move to align with Coppens represents another key bid to expand the Under Armour business, but also raises questions about what the line will look like and how much it will cost shoppers. T-shirts designed by Coppens originally retail for $250 or more, while Under Armour’s traditional t-shirts can cost around $30. The Under Armour brand almost always commands lower price points than rivals Nike, Adidas and Lululemon, so it will be interesting to see what the pricing strategy will be for UAS.

The line will be available at Under Armour’s glitzy Chicago and New York stores, as well as some fashion retailers and UASportswear.com.

About the Author
By John KellContributing Writer and author of CIO Intelligence

John Kell is a contributing writer for Fortune and author of Fortune’s CIO Intelligence newsletter.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Retail

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • TikTok icon
  • YouTube icon

Latest in Retail

alex
CommentaryEntrepreneurship
I sold my startup for millions without a single dollar in revenue. Here’s why that’s the point
By Alexander Kardos-NyheimJuly 25, 2026
1 hour ago
Photo of retailer Wildberries
PoliticsUkraine
Ukraine’s drone strikes on Russia’s Amazon rival’s warehouses hit military supply chain and shake public morale
By The Associated Press and Dasha LitvinovaJuly 24, 2026
18 hours ago
shop
EnergyInflation
Oil at $100 is pushing up costs from gas pumps to grocery aisles
By Cathy Bussewitz, Mae Anderson, Anne D'Innocenzio and The Associated PressJuly 24, 2026
20 hours ago
craig
CommentaryPharmaceutical Industry
Big pharma’s patent cliff meets a new biotech Cold War: We need to outrun China, not outlaw it
By Craig GarthwaiteJuly 24, 2026
21 hours ago
tim
Commentarysmartphones and mobile devices
NYU Stern pricing expert: There’s a hidden ‘AI tax’ hitting Apple, Dell — and your next phone
By Srikanth JagabathulaJuly 24, 2026
21 hours ago
cc
AISocial Media
Coke on its rebrand accidentally nailing Gen Z’s ‘fridge cigarette’ joke: ‘building on on the things people already know and love’
By Tatiana SatauaJuly 23, 2026
1 day ago

Most Popular

'The demographic dividend of the last 40 years is ending': J.P. Morgan says the world is running out of the two things that kept interest rates down
Economy
'The demographic dividend of the last 40 years is ending': J.P. Morgan says the world is running out of the two things that kept interest rates down
By Eleanor PringleJuly 24, 2026
1 day ago
Jensen Huang made his $172 billion fortune on AI chips. His family's $75 million gift to Vanderbilt argues art decides what technology is for
Big Tech
Jensen Huang made his $172 billion fortune on AI chips. His family's $75 million gift to Vanderbilt argues art decides what technology is for
By Sydney LakeJuly 23, 2026
2 days ago
The $39 trillion U.S. national debt isn’t as high as Japan’s and Singapore’s relative to economy size—and yet it's still worse somehow
Economy
The $39 trillion U.S. national debt isn’t as high as Japan’s and Singapore’s relative to economy size—and yet it's still worse somehow
By Sasha RogelbergJuly 23, 2026
2 days ago
Current price of oil as of July 24, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of July 24, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJuly 24, 2026
22 hours ago
The millennial generation has split, new Fed research shows: Those over 35 are edging toward boomer-style wealth, while everyone else falls behind
Real Estate
The millennial generation has split, new Fed research shows: Those over 35 are edging toward boomer-style wealth, while everyone else falls behind
By Nick LichtenbergJuly 22, 2026
3 days ago
Turns out Dead Internet Theory was right: AI agents are eating the Web, growing by nearly 8,000% and rewiring the Internet's business model
AI
Turns out Dead Internet Theory was right: AI agents are eating the Web, growing by nearly 8,000% and rewiring the Internet's business model
By Mia OsmonbekovJuly 23, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.