As a fashion designer, Tim Coppens is no stranger to trying to get customers to buy into his vision.
His latest effort as executive creative director for Under Armour Sportswear might be a tough sell.
Last week, on the last day of New York Fashion Week, Coppens presented Under Armour Sportswear (UAS), the Baltimore-based brand's new take on performance apparel.
About 300 people crowded into a waterfront warehouse near the Brooklyn Bridge to see the latest creations by the Belgian designer in Under Armour's first Fashion Week appearance. The music boomed and lights flashed as the models — a mix of men and women — were revealed from behind massive corrugated metal doors. They then walked around an installation adorned with various pieces from the collection.
Attendees included people in designer duds, professional athletes and funky thread-wearing street style influencers. Celebrity guests included rapper Fabolous and snowboarder Shaun White.
By most accounts, the collection was a success. Analyst Camilo Lyon of Canaccord Genuity Inc. wrote: "We came away both surprised and impressed at how distinct the company's first collection is relative to what we know UA to be."
But how do you get the Under Armour crowd to ditch $130 basketball sneakers and $59 workout hoodies for $219 dress boots and $489 welded blazers?
Coppens and Under Armour think that the quality of the finished product will do the trick.
"It's the material we use — down jackets, merino wool, terrycloth," he said. "It's the finishing details. That is a lot. The product is wearable and elevated."
That, along with the fact that the clothing will use the same stretchy fabrics that regulate body temperature, makes the line unique in a market saturated with fashionable takes on "athleisure" wear.
The collection, which ranges in price from $59 for layering pieces to $1,500 for a camo wool trench coat, includes quilted bomber jackets and wedge boots. The palettes for the pieces are mostly navy, tan, army green, white and maroon, with the occasional splash of orange. Some of the more memorable looks include a quilted puffer orange vest; color-blocked hooded jackets in maroon and white, and navy and white; navy boots featuring soles made from tire-tread material; and a transparent parka in a steel blue.
The collection also offers separates, dresses and outerwear for women, as well as an array of scarves and hats.
Coppens said the collection is targeting people in their mid- to late 20s.
"I prefer that they feel comfortable," Coppens said about his customers. "This [collection] is about movability and practicality."
The clothes hit stores this week at Barneys New York, global e-commerce partner Mr. Porter, uasportswear.com and Under Armour Brand Houses in New York and Chicago. In November, the collection will be available in the Under Armour Brand House in Boston.
The clothes will not, however, be immediately available in Baltimore stores. An Under Armour spokesperson said that the larger brand houses with room to accommodate the inventory were the first sites to sell the brand, but the company has not ruled out selling the collection here in the future.
"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. "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."
This is Coppens' first collection for Under Armour. The designer, whose clothes are sold internationally at luxury boutiques and stores such as Barneys, is known for his nod to street culture and athletic, futuristic elements. His talents have led to a number of accolades throughout his career, including the 2012 Ecco Domani Award for Best New Menswear Designer and the 2014 Council of Fashiobn Designers of America's Swarovski Award for Menswear. This year, he was nominated for CFDA's Menswear Designer of the Year.
Coppens was a natural choice for the collection, according to Under Armour's Ben Pruess, senior vice president of sportswear.
"He's loved in the fashion world," Pruess said. "It was pretty clear to me — from the beginning — that I wanted to talk to Tim."
Taking a more fashionable approach is not a complete stretch for the Under Armour customer, according to Pruess.
"Sports is moving more to fashion. The worlds are colliding. It's happening naturally," said Pruess, who was wearing chinos and casual dress shoes from the collection with a blue button-down shirt at the Fashion Week show. "Our athletes are looking to fashion. We are recognizing the cultural shift."
Athleisure wear sales have been booming in recent years, with many top designers launching lines. Athleisure sales reached $43.6 billion in 2015, a 16 percent increase from the year before, according to the NPD Group, a market research firm. But an athletic company's branching out into contemporary apparel is fairly unusual.
"We've blended the athletic and tailoring," Pruess said. "This is active wear. Not passive wear."
Under Armour founder and CEO Kevin Plank also attended the New York Fashion Week show but declined to comment on the collection.
Coppens, who had a lengthy conversation with Plank following the show, said Plank was pleased with the collection.