Move Over Lululemon, Rhone Is About To Take Over The Men's Activewear Market

The business of premium women's activewear is booming, with sales reaching more than $11.5 billion alone in 2013. Yet while brands like Canada's  Lululemon Athletica  - $1.8 billion in sales last  year - have captured a substantial portion of that business, they account for only a drop in the bucket of the global sports apparel market, which is expected to grow to $178 billion by 2019. Ironically, the biggest reason why activewear makes up less than 10% of the total market is not lack of demand, but rather supply; there simply aren't enough premium product offerings available to the primary market consumer - men. 

Enter Rhone Apparel. Founded in 2013, Rhone was specifically created to fill the current void in the high quality men's athleisure market. The company's product line aims to separate the brand from competitors like Lululemon, Nike and Under Armour , whose premium men's offerings are both generic in design and few and far between in availability. To that end, Rhone garments incorporate silver into the fibers to create an odor-fighting, antimicrobial fabric, as well as a new Polartec Power Dry patented construction to create a fabric that is quick wicking with maximum breathability and performance. With an eye on attention to detail, Rhone product names take their inspiration from various iconic male figures throughout history and aim to inspire season after season through the use of quotes embroidered on the inside of the garments.

In just two years, Rhone's growth has been nothing short of extraordinary. Buoyed by strong online sales, the company's product lines are already available in over 90 brick and mortar locations, including but not limited to, Bloomingdales, Nordstrom , and  Equinox across the country, as well as the brand's first retail space in Soho, New York City. In addition, Rhone plans to expand into a 4,000 square foot retail storefront and office in Stamford, CT by early next year.  It should also come as no surprise that Rhone's rapid rise is turning heads in the business world. This past September, the company announced the closing of a $5 million Series A financing from a proverbial who's who of influential sports, media and fashion investors that includes: Steve Bornstein, Former Chairman, President and CEO of ESPN; David Stern, NBA Commissioner Emeritus; Ryen Russillo, host of ESPN Radio’s Russillo & Kanell;  and Shane Battier, former NBA player and captain of Duke University’s 2001 NCAA championship team.

"We're incredibly excited about the growth of the brand and what this [new round of] financing allows us to do in terms of expansion," says Rhone co-founder and CEO Nate Checketts. "While we've made great strides over the last two years, more than anything we've learned a great deal about what our target audience wants in a premium activewear product. Most men simply aren’t comfortable wearing women's yoga brands. Coupled with the fact that other sports apparel manufactures aren't really offering high quality men's activewear lines and you realize that half the world's population simply doesn't have the access to a product they clearly want," he adds.

While Rhone still has a long way to go before it can go toe to toe with  sports apparel's biggest juggernauts, the strides it has made thus far provide strong evidence that the brand is positioned for rapid growth. With the activewear industry expected to reach $83 billion in sales by 2020 (assuming an influx of men's lines), there simply is no telling just how high the brand can go in the near future. What we can be certain about is that with its high quality products and stylish designs, Rhone has firmly cemented itself as 2016's hottest men's activewear brand.

Jason Belzer, Esq. is Founder of GAME, Inc.  and a Professor of Organizational Behavior and Sports Law at Rutgers University. Follow him on Twitter @JasonBelzer.