Lotus: the lucrative position
Derived from the Sanskrit root "yuj" meaning union, the ancient art of yoga is many things; a revered method of training the body and mind towards enlightenment, a hip celebrity pastime and, for a growing number of devotees, a way of life.
Marc Cohen, professor of complementary medicines at Melbourne?s RMIT university, elucidates.
"The appeal of yoga is not just about good health. What?s known as "the wellness revolution" is increasingly seen as desirable and sexy. It?s about lifestyle; and yoga has a big part to play in it."
If recent research from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) -- showing yoga now outstripping AFL as the nation?s most favoured form of exercise -- is any indication, the pursuit of "wellness" should not be underestimated.
Global brands like adidas have been quick to catch on. While adidas Women?s Adilibria line comprises a complete range of apparel, footwear and accessories covering yoga, gym, running, tennis and swim, yoga is "now considered the main driver within the Adilibria brand," claims adidas Australia public relations manager Kirsten Thompson.
Adilibria features lightweight, fluent fabrications designed to assure comfort, breathability and freedom of movement. Engineered constructions, Lycra additions and high-end technologies such as ClimaCool and ClimaWarm provide heat and moisture management through ventilation as well as thermal insulation in cold weather conditions. In addition, ClimaLite features soft, lightweight fabric for superior moisture management, while ForMotion ensures enhanced movement and performance.
Yoga has also entered the zeitgeist at the other end of the spectrum, with small fashion companies such as Melbourne knitwear specialist Besserman Corporation re-positioning themselves to tap into demand.
Besserman recently expanded its wardrobe basics label Rosie+Dixie to include a yoga range including long pants, wrap cardis, wrap singlets, tank tops, leggings and tunic dresses.
Aside from their use for yoga, the clothes -- all made from modal fabric -- were "designed to form a versatile and essential part of any wardrobe", said creative director Zoya Besserman.
Performance fabric specialists are increasingly turning their attention to yoga and related activities.
Lycra and Spandex specialist Eclipse Textiles believes the ideal yogawear fabric should be lightweight, comfortable, breathable and in some cases even antimicrobial.
In particular demand is Eclipse?s "Well-being" range, offering the benefits of "microencapsulation" whereby natural products including Acerola -- rich in natural vitamin C and essential oils, or Ginseng -- which has energizing and regenerating properties, are integrated into the fabric and released onto the skin, moisturizing and nourishing the wearer.
Such highly evolved garments are all designed to respond to what Eclipse product development designer Vanessa Kirk terms "the search for well-being".
While yoga is a big part of the "well being" market, the strength building features of pilates are also witnessing increasing interest from consumers, she says.
"Opportunities for [pilates] fabrications focus on new nanotechnology, which gives textiles the benefits of antimicrobial breathability and the wicking away of perspiration, while the garment still feels natural and soft."
A favoured fabrication for both yoga and pilates is Supplex, which offers both the elasticity of Nylon and a superior cotton handle.
"This product is beneficial due to the fact that is breathable, faster drying than cotton, crease resistant, anti-pilling and durable. It also offers the added benefits of feeling like natural cotton, due to the jet air textured nylon yarn."
Two-way stretch fabrications using elastomeric yarns are also well suited to yoga or pilates, says Carol Crawford, director of Sydney knit specialist Standardknit Fabrics. Their content will vary depending on end users? preferences, with fabrications ranging from varying blends of elastomeric, cotton and polyester.
Fabrications aside, the real point of difference lies in the design of the garments themselves, she claims.
"The most successful yoga labels create clothes that go from the class to the street, that are comfortable not cumbersome; clothes that retain their shape after being under stress."
One company that has placed design at the centre of its offer is Canadian yogawear brand Arianne.
The label has capitalized on the interface between exercise and fashion with a strong emphasis on the latter, claims marketing director Mathieu Rossy.
Launched in recent years as an extension of the lingerie brand of the same name, Arianne is designed to provide "a versatile wardrobe essential for the active woman," he says.
"We are trying new things to ensure that our customers rely on Arianne as a lifestyle brand for all fashion essentials. The trend that we are perceiving globally is that customers want to move from yoga mat to café to the fruit market. Leisure wear that allows them this ease of movement and versatility is what customers require."
According to Rossy, consumer buying decisions are influenced by a range of factors including the use of stretch fabrics for comfort, feminine styling, support bras, loose fitting pants to allow movement and high quality, durable fabrics.
Arianne?s key point of difference lies in the collaboration with designers to produce exclusive patterned and textured fabrics. These are predominantly made from natural fibres including cotton ? in the case of the "Sarah" collection an imported cotton slub; or modal ? the basis of the "Rachel" collection. The company also utilises nylon for enhanced comfort and elastane, designed to move with the body during exercise.
Queensland designer and yoga teacher Annie McGhee decided to launch her Yogini brand, formerly known as Pranava (the label changed its name this year due to intellectual property issues) because she could not find anything suitable to wear for yoga classes.
"I created some designs, had them made up and started wearing them. People saw them, bought them, loved them and things took off from there.
According to its creator, Yogini fills a gap in the market for specialised yogawear "offering practitioners ultimate comfort, total freedom of movement as well as a sense of style and fashion".
And woe betide anyone who mistakes the requirements of yoga with those of "active" or "gym wear"; all Yogini?s products are designed to give complete coverage, total comfort and freedom of movement in even the most strenuous of practices, says McGhee, who designed her range with input from yoga teachers and experienced students in Australia and overseas.
The brand offers a wide range of tops; including spliced camis, spliced tanks, basic tanks, halter tops and crossover action back tops, all featuring built in shelf bras. The tops are also cut high at the front and designed to sit snugly on the hips, essential for headstands, inverted postures and forward bends. Meanwhile the upper back of each top is designed to be free of restrictions to enable spinal twists and upper body stretches.
The range of pants includes long, three quarter length and capri styles, all cut high at the back for coverage in forward bends and stretches.
"Basically when practicing yoga, you do not want to be thinking about anything other than your practice; you certainly do not want any distraction from your clothing."
Another important consideration in creating the label ? manufactured wholly in Australia -- was the sense that it had been made ethically.
"It?s important to consider the materials that are used and their conditions and origin of manufacture; these are crucial factors reflecting the yogic philosophy and outlook."
Clearly, when consumers purchase yoga wear, they are buying into a whole lot more than mere apparel; the transformative power of a time-honoured pursuit.
McGhee estimates participation in yoga currently stands at around 300,000 people and is on the increase, with the average spend per year, per head around $1,500 on classes, clothing and accessories.
If the growing interest in her label is any indication, busy life styles, longevity and the pursuit of inner poise all point to one thing; a huge and still largely untapped opportunity.
"Healthy is suddenly the new "sexy" and here in Australia, women of all ages are taking up or continuing the practice of many styles of yoga, lured by the promise of a stronger and more flexible body and the numerous benefits of meditation, which traditionally accompanies its practice."