There were two product drops I was anticipating this week: Athleta’s collaboration with designer Derek Lam, and Alala’s second upload for the FW15 season. Here are some highlights from each.
Athleta x Derek Lam 10C
This is one of the first activewear collabs I’ve seen from a mainstream fashion designer, excluding designers who have launched their own collections, so I was curious to see the results. (Technically, this is a collab with Derek Lam 10 Crosby, an offshoot of the main Derek Lam fashion line.)
The collection is heavy on colorblocking, and utilizes sapphire blue and viridian green next to neutral tones. These are the block studio capris and block studio leggings. I was a bit disappointed to see that most of the capsule is only available in XS-L, while Athleta’s main collection is available in XXS-XL, often with plus, petite, and tall on top of that.
Adding to the geometric aesthetic, a couple of pieces feature this geometric pattern, like this corner road top.
Going along with the colorblocking theme, the block avenue top uses seamless fabric with thumbholes and silicone grips to keep everything in place. Besides this long sleeve, there’s also a tank version made of the same fabric.
I was surprised to see several items made of leather in this capsule. Though faux leather pops up occasionally, leather definitely isn’t a popular activewear material. Not to mention, it could end up being something that vegan consumers take issue with. And of course, the leather items come with a much more elevated price point–this downtown leather jacket is $498.
Speaking of jackets, this 2 in 1 town parka is an interesting piece. The sleeves are part of a zip-up sweater underneath that’s actually part of the jacket, though the pieces are separable. I’m actually kind of liking the layered sleeve look lately.
This downtown dress is my favorite item from the capsule, and is incidentally the only one available in XXS. It looks pretty short on the models, but it’s listed as 36″ long (at least on a size medium), which is actually not that short. The one odd thing is that the white bits are around the armpits, which is an area that’s especially likely to become stained. The dress is made of french terry.
Overall, I’m not going crazy over this collaboration, but it’s certainly not bad either. You can see the whole collection here. It’s available in a few stores, too, so if you’re lucky you might be able to try some of this on there.
Alala Fall ’15 Part 2
Alala’s product drop for September primarily featured a new shade of deep blue, poseidon. This color is pretty similar to lululemon’s poseidon from last fall–here’s an example of lulu’s. I think Alala’s is a bit deeper and a bit more blue, but it’s hard to tell from pics.
Here’s poseidon on captain crops, one of Alala’s core styles. I like the look of this, but this particular fabric has been a bit hit-or-miss with opacity lately, so I’m a bit nervy about it.
The fractal tee is another returning style, again in poseidon. I really like that the loose fit through the body is balanced by the fitted look at the sleeves. It also means this would be easy to throw on over a workout tank. I’ve seen this style a few times over the past couple seasons and I finally broke down and ordered this one to try. I’m a bit nervous about sizing, but there’s only one way to find out!
The chill tight is a new style for this season with a contrast accent and a handy side zip pocket. It’s made of tactel, which is a type of nylon that has an extra-soft and cozy feel. It’s not compressive, but it feels wonderful on the skin and I’ve had good luck with opacity. I was tempted to try these out because I really love tactel, but I decided to hold off and see if another color is released later.
The twist back tank was released in black for the first fall product drop, and now comes in poseidon too. This is another piece I ordered to try. My tank collection has felt pretty plain lately, and this will double as a sort of vest to wear over long sleeves for some added style in colder weather. Besides this and the fractal tee, I also snagged their beanie to add some cohesion with the other Alala pieces I already have.
The new blanket jacket is definitely a serious athleisure style statement. Besides exuding cool girl vibes, it looks hella cozy, and the butt-covering length is good for transitioning out of the gym. Sadly this one’s out of my price range for now.
The slice pullover is another new fall layer with a funnel neck, loose fit, and mesh arm accents. It’s made of promodal, the same material on the rolldown sweats I have, which is a heavier fabric that works well for cooler weather. It’s listed as having thumbholes, though the model isn’t using them in the pics. Alala’s transitional layers are one of the strongest aspects of their collection–this is another one I’d wear.
Besides solid poseidon, blue leopard is a new print for this drop. This is different from black leopard, which was released in the last upload, though they’re obviously very similar. Also, I’m pleased to see that the cut bra is now made with slots for cups! I’m not sure whether that’s also the case for their other bra styles.
You can check out all the newly dropped items on Alala’s site. If you order, don’t forget to enter the Agent Athletica deal at checkout, AA15, for 15% off! You can also find some of these new releases on Carbon38.
i ordered the blanket jacket. it was soooo pricey so it will have to be awesome to keep. i just love how it looks though. plus – a bonus – the summer sale had already ended and i had wanted the grey the cut bra but held off cause i would have had to pay $10 shipping. when i looked in my shopping cart it was still sitting there so i got that too (both items with your discount!) with free shipping. yay!
i do not love color blocking and am not loving the athleta cola stuff. ill save my money for more alala. lol.
Oh awesome!!! Tell me all about it. :)
Thank you for featuring brands OTHER than Lulu; While I’ve been a longtime fan, I actually feel some of the most innovative styles are coming from the indie start-ups–my favorite being Olympia, which you introduced me to! I also like OUT Incorporated, Outdoor Voices, Tracksmith, some Alo and Michi. Thank you!
I just placed an order with Outdoor Voices this week (a pair of warmup leggings), really curious to see how they are!
Ooh I’ve been eyeing Outdoor Voices- looking forward to the review! :)
OHH alala! I’m so happy the cut bra HAS slots for cups. Really can’t wear bras without, so much so that I had to resort to snipping a slot through some of my bras LOL. or give them away.
ah, pity I’m not a fan of colour blocks :( had enough with the lulu line the last time they did a whole batch of that (last year?)
btw i just realised that lulu does not reduce their prices for their items as much as they used to before esp when it hits the WMTM section. I was shocked to see the swiflies being only marked down by 4 bucks! I remember purchasing a whole load of them last time when they went down to 39. Oh well… inflation I guess ? LOL
I was going to comment on the swiftly MDs, too! $4 off? No thanks. I only buy them on sale – they’ve priced me out of those now, too!
I really need the cups too so I’m really glad to see the change! Maybe now I’ll scoop one up in black.
I noticed the tranquil blue swiftly LS went to MD, which I had kind of wanted, but for $4 off, I can’t say I was tempted! Great for them, though. I bet it moves much faster on MD, no returns, and I can’t imagine the $4 makes too much difference for them.
I was underwhelmed by Athleta’s collaboration collection. The Alala pieces, by comparison, looked more chic! Perhaps Athleta did not wish to venture too far from their usual offerings. Wished they would take a little more risk.
Yes, I agree it seemed very safe. I was hoping to see something more innovative and unique, too. Oh well, money saved!
I don’t like the Athleta Derek Lam collab stuff at all. Not only don’t I love color blocking & the colors, and I certainly wouldn’t buy leather, but I also felt the whole collection was pretty stale & nothing special. I also thought the dress was the best, but Athleta actually has a similar dress out now for less. I can’t wait to see your review of the Fractal Tee. That’s one piece I’ve been interested in. It’s still been so hot here this week so I’m happy to have scored some summer gear deals recently from Nordstrom (my first Onzie & Trina Turk pieces) & Lorna Jane.
Yes, I almost commented in my post that the colorblocking almost felt dated to me. I felt like that much blocking action was played out by lulu like 2 years ago when they colorblocked *everything*. The bottoms aren’t bad, but I *really* don’t care for the tops. I also ordered a Trina Turk piece this week from Nordstrom, so I’ll be really interested to see what they’re like, and curious to compare notes with your order. :)
Not a huge fan of color blocking in general, but I’ve definitely seen some women pull it off nicely.
Um- my eyes stopped when they saw the blanket jacket from Alala.
In one word: DOPE
Momma like……
I had the same thought about the white bit on the slice pullover. I think my feelings are overall positive on it, though. If it was a color besides white, I don’t think I would like it, but since it’s a neutral it seems like it’d work better. Curious to see if the blanket jacket comes out in other colors. I’ve been debating to myself whether I’d prefer all black.
Not a fan of color blocking. The leather pieces struck me as odd, too. I’ve yet to try anything from Alala but I’m intrigued. Thanks for reviewing other brands!
I think some colorblocking works, but too much and it’s just…eh. This crossed over the “too much” line for me. Ah well.
I’m liking Slice pullover. Wonder if it’ll come in any other color, perhaps Poseidon with gray accent? I don’t mind some color blocking , in fact I have a pair of Ascendant leggings by Alala in light gray, yellow & white and love them. My only issue with brands other than lulu is the resale value. On the other hand Athleta is being Athleta, blah styles and fabrics, just like Old Navy or Target active wear although budget friendly
Yeah, it’s rough to buy a ~$100 item and not be sure you can get it back. That’s been a frustration of mine with other brands, too. I hope that the resale market for non-lulu activewear brands grows over time.
Suzanne I missed the got your back tank on their site, it was just there like a week ago! I found it late (thank you for your posts I would have never discovered Alala!) do you know of where I might be able to did it? TIA
Off the top of my head I don’t remember seeing it anywhere besides Alala’s site, but if I come across it I’ll let you know!!
I sure love that blanket coat, so my style. TFS
and…color blocking seems dated to me but a few designers are doing it again..why?
Yeah, I think when done wrong it definitely looks dated. Sometimes it works but this isn’t really one of those times, unfortunately.
You’ve read my mind! Ive been thinking about the twist back tank and the fractal tee, too, but I’m nervous about sizing and hate the order-multiple-and-return dance. I look forward to your review once you get your goodies. And thank you for the awesome code!
My order will be delivered Thursday, fingers crossed!! :) I should have something up about them next week.
I think color blocking can be great – if done correctly. It’s a good tool for creating shapes and lines that flatter the figure. But color blocking for the sake of color blocking can be disastrous. That Athleta line – just, no.
But the Alala stuff is speaking to me!
Agree totally with your colorblocking comment! I like some colorblocking, but this is just not in that category.
Alala’s style is edgy and refreshing! The twist back tank looks so chic, but I worry about its polyester fabric. I will wait for your review before pulling the trigger.
I have the sophisticated jacket and like the weight and cut. If the blanket jacket comes out in black, I will be in trouble.
I am also tempted by the fast track and roll down pants that you reviewed a few months ago. I remember reading that they fit small. I have 25″ waist, 33″ hip, and strong calves, either 2 or 4 in lulu bottoms. Hope these pants in XS are not too small for me.
I think you’ll be good with the XS in the pants, fingers crossed. :) I’m curious to see if the blanket jacket comes in black, too, then I might have a tough decision to make…
Just FYI, I ordered the Alala Slice Pullover and was pretty disappointed. For one, it is very short and because of the tighter band at the bottom, rode up substantially every time I lifted my arms. That made it bunch up a lot in the stomach, which (to me) exacerbates how wide the shoulders look with the dolman construction. Not good. Also, the band around the back, which appears white in their photos (including the one used on your review) is actually minty green, which really limits the coordinating options. Finally, I have found dealing with Alala to be a real pain in the as*. Although I used the Agent Athletica discount code (thanks!), I hate paying for shipping, had to pay to return it, and just found out the package is “undeliverable” despite the fact that I returned it to the address they provided. So now if I return it using their method, I will have spent $25 on shipping. Not too happy. At this point, I would never buy directly from their site again — it’s too risky and the customer service just isn’t up to snuff… yet.
Thanks for the tips about the slice PO! I’ve noticed some of their tops tend to run a tad short, so that’s not too surprising to hear. Bummer about the mint accent, though, white would definitely be much easier for matching!
As for the return snafu, that sounds incredibly frustrating. I agree that the shipping charges can be kind of rough, and I also wish the process was a little cheaper/easier on both ends. I actually have a pretty good guess as to what went wrong, though. I just sent in my return from my most recent order, and when I requested the return, the rep let me know they had just moved and gave me a new address to ship to (I used my own postage). My return was delivered to the new address yesterday, and I know they received it because I already got my refund notification back. But, if they didn’t give you the updated/correct address, that’s definitely their mistake. Regardless, if you haven’t already, I would definitely contact their CS explaining the whole situation and see if they can help you. Like I said, it sounds like it’s not your fault, so hopefully they can resolve it to your liking. Sorry again to hear that happened! :(