FIT FOR THE CITY

A new generation of activewear labels is redefining movement, style and identity in Singapore.

- BY AARON KOK

Who would've thought? That on an island where office chairs outnumber barbells, a new fashion frontier would emerge in activewear. Somewhere between the reformer Pilates studios and the post-spin brunch circuit, Singapore has quietly, assuredly, become a gymwear capital in its own right—and in that very Singaporean way: calculated, community-driven, and chasing excellence under the guise of effortlessness.

It began, unsurprisingly, with the pandemic. With bodies confined to bedrooms, movement became intimate and purposeful. Fitness was no longer about sweaty resolutions, but about regulation and finding rhythm when the rest of the world fell out of it. And the clothes? They had to do more than stretch. They had to hold your shape, your mood, and in many ways, you.

This shift coincided with something else: a newfound taste for local labels. Where once our wardrobes were dictated by Lululemon and Nike, a growing number of Singaporean founders stepped in to design for us. Fabrics had to be breathable, naturally, but so did the cuts: the weight of a waistband, the height of a seam, the shape of a flare—these were frontline decisions.

It helps that the regional market is booming. The Apac premium activewear segment generated over US$22.3 billion in 2024, accounting for more than 20 percent of the global market according to a study by Grand View Horizon.